Trade
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Kenya’s new Finance Act 2026 is reigniting fresh debate across the region. The law raises the excise duty on imported sugar by more than 300%. Exporters say levy will significantly increase accessing one of East Africa’s largest sugar markets.
Ethiopia’s Customs Commission has introduced a directive formalising small-scale cross-border trade with Kenya, capping monthly transactions at $1,000 under simplified customs procedures for licensed border-resident traders.
Africa’s merchandise trade hit a record $1.5 trillion in 2025, but a $74 billion trade finance gap and declining correspondent banking relationships are constraining growth.
According to data from the Finance Ministry, the East African nation posted a surplus of $147.26 million in January 2026, reversing a $206.43 million deficit in December 2025 and a $215.28 million shortfall a year earlier.
Despite the scale of tariff increases, the US retained its position as South Africa’s third-largest trading partner after China and Germany in 2025, reinforcing its influence in Pretoria’s trade architecture.
Analysts warn Nigeria’s heavy reliance on Chinese goods exposes it to external shocks, including changes in China’s economic conditions, supply chain disruptions or shifts in trade policy.
While the new policy does not increase the volume of dollar inflows, it is expected to improve how quickly those funds circulate within the financial system — boosting liquidity.
According to the African Centre for Supply Chain, the country loses an estimated $14.2 billion annually to inefficiencies at key seaports, driven by congestion, outdated infrastructure and bureaucratic delays — challenges the deal aims to rectify.
For decades, moving money across Africa has often taken a strange and long-winding route. A Kenyan entrepreneur paying a supplier in Ghana might see the payment leave Nairobi, pass through banks in Europe or the United States
Nigeria’s recent disinflation trend is facing a fresh threat as escalating tensions in the Middle East send global oil prices sharply higher, raising concerns that rising fuel and logistics costs could reignite inflationary pressures across Africa’s most populous nation.
MSC told customers the surcharge would remain ‘until further notice’ while the company continues to monitor the situation in coordination with authorities and insurers.
Escalating US–Israel strikes on Iran are disrupting Gulf shipping routes and pushing oil prices higher, forcing costly maritime reroutes and exposing Africa’s dependence on imported fuel and goods.
The newly inaugurated Luvo border complex in Zaire Province consolidates customs, immigration, police and phytosanitary services into a single integrated facility, replacing a fragmented system where agencies operated separately.
The decision, announced on Wednesday by Polite Kambamura, Zimbabwe’s Mines and Mining Development Minister, marks a sharp acceleration of Harare’s long-standing push to force more mineral processing to take place at home.
While the country’s trade imbalance persisted, the scale of the deficit narrowed significantly. The 2025 shortfall marks a roughly 60% improvement compared with the $5.76 billion (CFA 3.2 trillion) gap recorded in 2024.
Kenya is reviving negotiations with the US as its trade deficit with Washington widens sharply, underscoring growing pressure on Nairobi to rebalance trade flows with one of its largest export markets.
Central bank data shows Uganda’s gold exports reached $5.8 billion in 2025, representing a 75.8% increase from $3.3 billion in 2024 as record global prices attracted new traders
Officials expect the planned port expansion to significantly lift container-carrying capacity, generate operating revenues of around $500 million yearly and boost trade flows with key markets including the Middle East.
The trade concession, announced on Thursday by the Ministry of Trade, comes as East Africa’s largest economy remains heavily dependent on imports from China.
When Musa, a food commodities trader in southwest Nigeria, secured a buyer in Accra, the distance looked manageable. The route hugged the Atlantic coastline, demand was strong, and the margins worked on paper. Then came the borders.
