African Trade Policy Centre

GTAP Awards Research Fellow Distinction to ECA Staff

Addis Ababa, 24 June 2020 (ECA) – The Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) in Purdue University has rewarded Mr. Simon Mevel, Economic Affairs Officer of ECA, with the GTAP Research Fellow Award for the period 2020-2023 in recognition for his contributions to knowledge and policy making using the GTAP Data Base, through leading the modeling work using GTAP at the ECA, and his outstanding leadership in designing training for African researchers and policy makers.

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Second survey on COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact on African countries

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and International Economics Consulting Ltd teamed up in April 2020, in order to carry out the first survey and provide insights into the economic effects of the pandemic on economic activity and trade for businesses across Africa. The analysis and full report has been published and can be accessed here.

Informal traders: a balancing act of survival

Mon, 06/15/2020 - 08:07 -- Minilik.Demissie

In the fight against the coronavirus, almost all African countries have now suspended international flights, introduced 14-day quarantines, and closed land borders. Forty-four of Africa’s 54 countries have now announced land or port closures. In order to keep economies alive, cargo trade is typically still allowed by air, sea and vehicles, under very strict conditions. But trade across physical borders, much of which is small-scale and informal, requires the movement of people, and has come to an abrupt halt.

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Policymakers and business leaders to review the future of e-commerce in Africa amidst COVID-19 challenges

Addis Ababa, 4 June 2020 (ECA) - The International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) today will hold its first ecomConnect Day on the future of e-commerce. The online event, which is also livestreamed on YouTube - https://youtu.be/xI7HCF4IjZ4  will focus on how e-commerce can help Africa’s businesses survive and relaunch in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Informal traders: A balancing act of survival

Informal cross border trade, by definition, requires traders to cross the border to sell their goods and services on the other side. Much of this trade takes place between border communities with strong and indestructible linkages. For instance, the Ewe language is spoken by many informal traders in both Ghana and Togo, with roots dating back to the late seventeenth century when the Ewe people originally migrated to Ghana from Togo.

Initiative on Model Provisions for Trade in Times of Crisis and Pandemic in Regional and other Trade Agreements

Addis Ababa, May 20, 2020 – Following the raft of ad-hoc trade measures taken by countries in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the United Nations has put in place a new initiative to develop model provisions to promote more trade cooperation and predictability in times of crisis and pandemic – and speed up recovery.

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Electronic trade rekindling sales for African businesses during COVID-19

Addis Ababa, 15 May 2020 (ECA) – Imagine using one second to sell three thousand (3000) bags of a coffee produce which lay fallow hitherto in storehouses in Rwanda for months due to freighting stand-stills caused by the COVID-19 global lockdown!

This is what happened on  14 May 2020 during a livestream by coordinated by the Alibaba Business Group to position small-scale world brands on the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP), a the six-year-old initiative  which facilitates business-to-consumer (B2C) sales.

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