Introduction Africa suffered its worst recession in more than 50 years in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as its GDP declined by ↓2.1%. Fortunately, a strong rebound is expected …
Work Plan Progress 2021
1. Background, formation and over-arching objective The WCO East and Southern Africa (ESA) Region consists of 24 Member Countries; Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, …
Minutes of Meeting – 10th Webinar – 10 June 2021, 14h00 to 15h30 (CAT; UCT +02:00)
AfCFTA: Implementation and progress to date: Introduction The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has been called the biggest trade agreement in history. It covers a market of 1.2 billion …
5th WCO AEO Global Conference – 25-27 May 2021
AOE 2.0: Advancing Towards New Horizons for Sustainable and Secure Trade Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)25 TO 27 May 2021 A virtual conference focusing on exchanging innovative ideas and visions, …
ESA COVID-19 Situation Report – First Quarter 2021
Introduction As has become the case lately, it is almost impossible to report on any matter without mentioning the impact of COVID-19. Early in 2020, the world was turned on …
Minutes of Meeting – 9th Webinar – 18th March 2021, 10h00 to 11h30 (CAT; UCT +02:00)
Introduction Given the current economic climate across the world, and especially in Africa, it is increasingly vital that customs and business find a way to work together to facilitate trade …
The Evolution of Borders: A Brief History
Borders and ports of entry have become such a crucial part of trade and the movement of people and goods across borders, and their functions are quite clear. However, this …
Launch of trade under the AfCFTA on 1 January 2021- What traders need to know
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) – Africa’s new trade agreement with its own legal instruments –was officially launched on 1 January 2021. The long-term objective of the AfCFTA …
ESA COVID-19 situation report Nov-Dec 2020
Introduction This report contains a brief overview of the flow of goods for the 24 respective countries that form the East and Southern Africa (ESA) region. The update is the …
ESA COVID-19 situation report Sept-Oct 2020
Introduction This update – the fifth of its kind – contains an overview of the flow of goods for 24 respective countries that form the East and Southern Africa (ESA) …