The selection: Monday, 14 December

MC10: a compendium of resources, news items, commentaries

Official websites: Kenya MC10, WTO

Twitter: @MC10Nairobi

tralac's MC10 Resource Box

tralac is hosting a session at TDSNairobi on the Continental Free Trade Area

UNCTAD side events: a listing, background documentation

Profiled MC10 news items: Push for good deal at WTO, Kituyi tells African ministers (The Standard), Africa’s trade issues off agenda, less divisive items remain (The East African), What Africa ought to target at WTO talks in Nairobi (Business Daily), G-33 demands outcome on special safeguards (Livemint), WTO failure to adapt to trade shifts could hamper Nairobi talks (Bloomberg), Nairobi meeting faces questions on WTO’s ability to deliver deals (Livemint)

Profiled MC10 commentaries: 'The WTO turns 20, but will it make it to 30?' (15 Initiative), 'Leveraging trade for development - an agenda for the Nairobi WTO Ministerial' (ECIPE)

Deepening the US-Africa trade and investment relationship: comments invited (USTR)

USTR invites written comments and/or oral testimony of interested persons on issues including, but not limited to, the following: (a) why a deeper trade and investment relationship is critical both for African growth and for U.S. interests; (b) which trade and investment policy areas should serve as building blocks to deepen this relationship; (c) what goals should the US and African partners establish with respect to each building block; and (d) what mechanisms and approaches could be used to best achieve these goals. Written comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, January 19, 2016.

Addis set to host US-Africa February 2016 business summit

America's security deficit: addressing the imbalance between strategy and resources in a turbulent world (RAND Corporation)

Africa is auto’s final frontier (IOL)

When Nigeria first unveiled incentives for carmakers to set up plants, its auto industry had ground to a standstill. Fast forward two years, and there are at least 36 automakers with production licenses in the continent’s biggest economy, with Volkswagen, Nissan Motor and Ford Motor already making vehicles with local partners. The country is seeking to join South Africa as the only manufacturing base for the car industry in sub-Saharan Africa, with countries from Ethiopia to Uganda hoping to follow suit. Vehicle ownership on the continent is estimated by the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers at less than 50 per 1 000 people, compared with about 800 in the US.

Namibia and beneficiation policy issues: two perspectives

Fading viability of beneficiation (Insight)

Government’s dream of stimulating local beneficiation of minerals might take even longer to materialise as there is still no policy in place. And a team of foreign experts has apparently compiled yet another study on the economic viability of further processing of minerals in Namibia. This time dimension stone, fluorspar, graphite, manganese, phosphates, salt and silica sand were looked at. The first study of 2014 focussed on copper, gold, iron ore, diamonds, lead, uranium and zinc. The Ministry Trade and Industry commissioned London-based SNL Metals & Mining to carry out the second study, which was completed early this year.

Roman Grynberg: 'After the diamond omungong - now what?' (The Namibian)

Namibia, like Botswana and South Africa, all want to "beneficiate" their diamonds as well as base metals. But the problem is that the middle of the value chain whether it is diamonds or copper, is controlled by India and China. In both diamonds and copper, these producers have squeezed the margins so hard there is no room for anything other than cost effective efficiency.

Mozambique’s new industrial strategy: update (Club of Mozambique)

Industries prioritised in the new Policy and Industrial Strategy (PEI) include food and agribusiness, clothing, textiles and footwear, non-metallic minerals, wood and furniture manufacturing, chemicals, metal product manufacturing and drinks. Achieving the new PEI industrial sector goals will entail the implementation of a transport and communications infrastructure program to ensure the integrated development of industrial zones. The proposed revision of the PEI notes that the country does not have an integrated development strategy, lacks infrastructure and depends on imported raw materials. High operating costs, irregular water and electricity supply and difficulties in supplies of raw materials are other constraints.

Mozal Aluminium again considered the largest company in Mozambique (MacauHub)

In addition to Mozal Aluminium, re-elected as the largest company, the report points to the Mozambican subsidiary of South African group Grindrod as the best company in the country, with a growth of 43.14% between 2013 and last year. The 100 largest companies in the country account for 26% of GDP, according to the report by KPMG, one of the main auditing firms operating in Mozambique.

Illicit financial flows cost Zimbabwe $500m (The Herald)

Illicit financial flows have this year cost Zimbabwe more than $500m, which is enough to buy about over half of the season’s supply of grain for the country. Zimbabwe requires about 1,8 million tonnes of maize annually at a total cost of about $702m at the Grain Marketing Board. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Dr John Mangudya said authorities are dealing with the cancer. He said some companies are taking advantage of the opening up of the exchange controls to drain money out of the country. “That shows lack of confidence. How can you be confident that you love to live in Zimbabwe without your money? “So you send your money to Mauritius, China or Pakistan or other parts of the world but your business is in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Namibia and SADC's FIP: 'Anti-money laundering – substantial progress made' (New Era)

Addressing the illicit trade in Africa’s natural resources: 'illicit trade in African oil' consultancy (AfBD)

The economic power of tourism: World Bank forum update

Travel and tourism accounts for about 10% of global GDP, generates one out of eleven jobs worldwide (about 277 million total), and is an increasingly vital component of developing economies. “In Kenya, tourism produces 14% of national economic output and 12% of total employment,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said in remarks opening the forum. “In 2013, tourists spent $413bn in developing countries, about three times the amount of official development assistance that year. In 2015, for the first time in history, more people will travel to the developing world than to the developed world - about 550 million people overall.”

Tourism players, media warn Kenya and Tanzania over tug of war (The Standard)

Ethiopia is welcoming the investors Kenya has frustrated  (Daily Nation)

Kenya: Urgent policy shift needed to create jobs says Mwiria (Daily Nation)

EAC states move to harmonise fisheries development policies (New Times)

The draft policy seeks to promote co-operation regarding fisheries management in transboundary waters, and ensure traceability, quality and safety of traded fish and fishery products, and reduce illegal unreported and unregulated fishing across borders. It also aims to promote the development of responsible aquaculture, enhance coherence in policy implementation with linkage to African Union fisheries policy framework, as well as ensure accurate and regular update of fisheries data, and advocate for improved governance.

Identifying policy synergies on aid for fisheries and food security (The Fish Site)

African Union hails ECJ annulment of EU-Morocco trade deal over Western Sahara (AU)

Document de stratégie d’intégration régionale pour l’Afrique centrale (AfDB)

ILO: draft report of the 13th African Regional Meeting

COP21 Summit - selected postings: Historic Paris agreement on climate change (UNFCC), UN chief hails new climate change agreement as 'monumental triumph' (UN), Shock waves: managing the impacts of climate change on poverty (World Bank)

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This post has been sourced on behalf of tralac and disseminated to enhance trade policy knowledge and debate. It is distributed to over 300 recipients across Africa and internationally, serving in the AU, RECS, national government trade departments and research and development agencies. Your feedback is most welcome. Any suggestions that our recipients might have of items for inclusion are most welcome. Richard Humphries (Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter: @richardhumphri1)