Trade relations are changing globally. As regional groupings are disrupted and reformed, global value chains contract, protectionism creeps in and the digital economy strengthens, old hat trading portfolios look increasingly out-dated. Without a doubt, enthusiasm for multilateralism has waned and the World Trade Organisation faces an existential crisis having not completed a new round of global trade liberalisation in two decades, since the Doha Round.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has emphasized the need for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries to be accorded increased access to the European Union (EU) market. He said such arrangements like the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) should recognise each country’s level of development so that no country feels disadvantaged. President Kenyatta observed that the ACP countries were at different levels of development and can only reap maximum benefit from the EPAs if their individual levels of economic development are taken into consideration.

The capacity of Mombasa, East Africa’s principal port, will soon increase after an investment of €1,46 billion by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to cut time lost in traffic jams and congested ports. The funding announced in Luxembourg on Thursday will also improve sustainable local transport.

The country will gain a National Agriculture and Food Center (CNA) worth USD 200 million for manufacturing, transformation, preservation and distribution of locally produced food. The infrastructure, believed to be the largest agro-food center in African, will be built in Luanda's urban area near the satellite Kilamba city.

The 2nd edition of agrofood and plastprintpack Ethiopia 2018 has scored with an outstanding participation of international market leaders. Taking place from 3rd to 5th May 2018, at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa, more than 60 exhibitors from 17 countries present their innovations at Ethiopia's 2nd International Trade Show on Agriculture, Food, Plastics, Printing and Packaging. The event is organised by the German exhibition specialists fairtrade (www.fairtrade-messe.de) and their Ethiopian partners Prana Events.