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Africa

Pessimism surges, but many insist African free trade will take off
31-Jul-2020 TRT World
Initially planned to take place on 1 July 2020, the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been indefinitely postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Africa free trade area to create new opportunities for China-Africa cooperation: expert
22-Jul-2020 XinhuaNet
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will create new opportunities for China-Africa cooperation, an Ethiopian expert said on Tuesday.
Investor-state dispute settlement in Africa and the AfCFTA Investment Protocol
8-Jul-2020 Tralac
With the growing concern over the traditional ISDS system, it is highly unlikely that the AfCFTA will include an ISDS mechanism giving investors access to go to international arbitration under conventional international tribunals.
PAW2020: The future of ISDS in Africa
8-Jul-2020 African Law Blog
African states need to take a unified and proactive approach to investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), in order to make a system that is fairer to Africa and more consistent.
Africa free-trade vision clouded by virus and pace of talks
1-Jul-2020 Yahoo
A historic deal to smash down tariff barriers within Africa is being braked by the coronavirus pandemic and a thicket of negotiating problems.
Africa-wide trade deal will push ahead despite coronavirus wrath
24-Jun-2020 Al Jazeera
Even if the pandemic continues into 2021, the African Continental Free Trade Area will move ahead, a top official says.
An early assessment of the prospective Kenya-United States trade agreement
22-Jun-2020 Afronomics Law
Kenya’s negotiations with the United States while the African Union is in ongoing negotiations on a future agreement between African countries makes this a transitional moment in Africa’s trading relationship with the West.
EU-Africa relations in a post-COVID world
15-Jun-2020 Euractiv
Negotiators from the Commission and the African, Caribbean and Pacific community confirmed that talks on a trade and political cooperation deal to replace the twenty-year-old Cotonou Agreement were close to completion.
Africa free trade zone could launch on Jan 1, says official
12-Jun-2020 Reuters
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could begin operating on January 1 next year, after the COVID-19 pandemic made its original launch date untenable.
Africa should resist acceding to the Energy Charter Treaty
11-Jun-2020 Daily Monitor
Joining the Energy Charter Treaty could cost developing countries money that is urgently needed to fight Covid-19 and a loaming economic crisis. The Energy Charter Treaty has become increasingly controversial.
Manufacturers pulling out of China should consider Africa to diversify their supply chain
25-May-2020 South China Morning Post
The creation of the AfCFTA could enhance the attractiveness of sub-Saharan Africa as an investment destination and manufacturing base.
Africa must not let disputes with foreign investors undermine its Covid-19 response
7-May-2020 Business Day
There is an imminent threat of claims arising from emergency measures, so countries should review how investor-state disputes are handled.
African Continental Free Trade Area: hope or neo-colonialism?
5-May-2020 United World International
The AfCFTA is an opportunity for countries and companies to help each other grow, but trade liberalization and Western control can harm the poor and local producers in these countries, and Africa will repeat the mistakes of the European Union.
US should avoid phased approach in trade talks with Kenya: Chamber of Commerce
27-Apr-2020 Reuters
The United States should work to achieve a single, comprehensive agreement with Kenya that removes barriers to trade and investment, instead of pursuing a phased approach, the US Chamber of Commerce said.
Despite controversy, the Energy Charter Treaty is silently being pushed into Africa
21-Apr-2020 Euractiv
Joining the Energy Charter Treaty could cost developing countries money that is urgently needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis.
Silent expansion
15-Apr-2020 CEO
Many countries, particularly in the global south, are in the process of joining the Energy Charter Treaty despite the sweeping powers it grants to foreign investors.
Putting an end to the EU’s neo-colonial policies in the field of trade and investment
14-Apr-2020 CADTM
The destructive effects of these free trade agreements signed with the EU are already clearly visible in the majority of countries of the South.
African Continental Free Trade Area to suffer setback - Mashakada
31-Mar-2020 Bulawayo24
Economist Tapiwa Mashakada has said the African Continental Free Trade Area is going to suffer a serious setback as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Africa may only see impact of new free-trade deal after 3 years
2-Mar-2020 Bloomberg
Target for first trade under continent-wide pact is July 1. Tariffs, rules of origin and protocols for services are yet to be agreed on.
Trade Minister inaugurates seven working group to prepare country for AfCFTA
19-Feb-2020 Ghana Web
The working groups are expected to develop strategic programmes that will help the government domestically address key constraints facing intra-African trade to allow the country to harness the full benefits of the AfCFTA.