Business 1 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Africa Positions Itself Amid Global Trade Shifts: Can It Shape the Future?
African trade ministers united in Maputo to outline priorities for the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference as US-China rivalry and sustainability rules reshape global trade. Agriculture stands as a critical test for the continent's strategy to build capacity and avoid external dependencies. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/commentary/is-africa-set-to-seize-the-moment-as-the-global-trade-order-is-rewritten--5410486
African trade ministers met in Maputo on February 26, 2026, to forge a unified stance ahead of the World Trade Organisation’s 14th Ministerial Conference. This move aims to help the continent influence a global trade system undergoing rapid changes driven by US-China tensions, technology rivalries, and new plurilateral deals.
The rivalry between major powers has led to tariff hikes, unilateral measures, and a shift away from inclusive multilateralism. Africa, drawing on Agenda 2063 and the AfCFTA, seeks to leverage its collective market power for stronger negotiations rather than reacting passively.
Emerging challenges include sustainability rules like carbon border adjustments, which demand advanced tech and financing many African nations lack. In agriculture, pressures mount from biotech, GMOs, and proprietary inputs that risk locking the continent into foreign dependencies.
Africa pushes for policy space to bolster local production, agroecology, and innovation. Key demands include Special and Differential Treatment to address inequalities, a revived dispute settlement system, and reforms to counter distortive subsidies from rich nations.
Shifting from mere market access, the focus is on industrial policy, value addition, and productive capacity. Agriculture will prove if this approach succeeds, especially on public stockholding, safeguards, and domestic support vital for food security.
The upcoming WTO conference will gauge if Africa’s coordination yields real negotiating leverage in this new trade era.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda) by Herbert Kafeero, SEATINI deputy executive director.