TRADE FACILITATION

SOUTHERN AFRICA: SADC Trade Facilitation Programme Extended

23 November 2021

The extension of the implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) for the 2020-2030 period has been approved by the SADC’s Committee of Ministers of Trade (CMT) on 5 November 2021. More

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BAHRAIN: Truck Waiting Times to be Cut by 90% at Saudi Border

13 April 2021

Truck waiting times on the King Fahd Causeway, a major trade transport route connecting Saudi Arabia with Bahrain, will be reduced by about 90% when the road reopens, thanks to a new digital system. More

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ASIA: UN’s Pan-Asia Digital Trade Treaty Formally Adopted

04 March 2021

The United Nations’ Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific came into effect as of 20 February. More

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UAE: Abu Dhabi Automates Customs Border Inspections

23 February 2021

The Abu Dhabi General Administration of Customs (ADCA) has introduced an automated system for managing and implementing customs inspection processes. More

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KENYA: KPA Extends Container Free Storage Period for Traders

24 December 2020

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has further extended the free storage period for containers at its ports, which was due to end on 13 November 2020. The original free storage period was introduced by the KPA on 18 May 2020 for three months, then extended in August, principally intended to mitigate the adverse impact on trade of the Covid-19 pandemic. More

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KENYA: Manufacturers’ Body Releases Standard Procedures to Ease Import Clearance

11 December 2020

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has released a new set of standards intended to improve the efficiency and accountability of importing into Kenya. More

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AFRICA: UN Economic Commission for Africa Launches Trade Platform for AfCFTA

07 December 2020

The United Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has officially launched the African Trade Exchange, or ATEX, intended to facilitate trade between buyers and suppliers when the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement kicks in at the beginning of next year. More

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KENYA: New Sea Cargo Clearance System Starts in December 2020

02 December 2020

Cargo clearance at Kenya’s Mombasa port will be accelerated from December 2020 when the Customs and Border Control Department of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) switches to using the Sea Cargo Release module of the Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade). More

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KENYA: New Nairobi Customs Depot to Cut Costs for Smaller Importers

23 November 2020

Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, opened the government’s Container Freight Station (CFS)-Kenya Railways Corporation Transit Shed near the Nairobi Central Station on 10 November 2020. More

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EGYPT: Government to Automate 90% of Customs Procedures by Early 2021

02 November 2020

The management of 90% of Egypt’s imports and exports will shift online by the end of January next year, according to the country’s Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait, in a statement released on 19 October 2020. More

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