Beyond the clapping and ululation in Kigali, can the ACFTA be implemented? Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | After close to 30 years of negotiations, 44 African states finally agreed to establish a single market to ease buying and selling of African-made goods and services. That leaves out 11 countries; …
Read More »Trump says Mexico not stopping migrant flow, threatens NAFTA
Palm Beach, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump accused Mexico on Sunday of doing “very little” to stop the flow of people across the US border, and threatened to target the North American Free Trade Agreement in retaliation. His Easter Sunday comments on Twitter came in apparent …
Read More »On Museveni’s Umeme missive
UMEME: Why the president is misinformed about electricity distribution market and tariffs THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | President Yoweri Museveni’s letter to the minister of Energy has provided considerable grist to the anti-Umeme mill. There is no company providing a public service in Uganda that has been …
Read More »MIVUMBA: Trump targets Rwanda, spares Uganda and Kenya
Trump to suspend duty-free apparel imports from Rwanda, spares Uganda and Kenya Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump suspended the duty-free status of Rwanda’s apparel after finding the African nation unfairly blocked US exports of used clothing (commonly known as Mivumba), officials announced Thursday. However, the …
Read More »COMMENT: Unnoticed Ivory flames
How messages on burning ivory from poached elephants might be missed among those for whom it is intended COMMENT | MATTHEW H. HOLDEN & OTHERS | The tusks of more than ten thousand elephants went up in flames in Kenya on April 30, 2016 – the world’s largest ever ivory …
Read More »Trump to announce China trade sanctions on Thursday
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sanctions against China Thursday for the “theft” of US intellectual property, a White House official said, teeing up a second potential confrontation in as many months. Spokesman Raj Shah told AFP that Trump will announce actions following …
Read More »US restricts trade with South Sudanese oil firms
Washington, United States | AFP |The United States imposed restrictions Wednesday on exports of US technical support to the South Sudanese oil industry, warning that it is fuelling the bloody civil war there. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said exporters will henceforth need a license to export, re-export or transfer …
Read More »History as 44 African nations sign free trade area pact
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Forty-four African countries have signed an agreement establishing a free trade area seen as vital to the continent’s economic development, the head of the African Union said Wednesday. The creation of a free trade area — billed as the world’s largest in terms of participating …
Read More »Uganda to review Africa Free Trade Area pact
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP | Uganda has sent a strong delegation to Kigali where African leaders will formally launch the African Continental Free Trade Area Treaty on Wednesday, but the country is reconsidering its full involvement in the pact as it is. Uganda, in many ways like …
Read More »AU launches ambitious bid for world’s largest free trade area
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Africa’s leaders will gather in Rwanda Wednesday to launch what they say will be the world’s largest free trade area but Nigeria has already pulled out, highlighting the challenge in getting the continent to sign up. Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) with …
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