The project's main objective is to study the macroeconomic and trade impact on different economic sectors in Brazil, Argentina and other emerging countries (India, Russia, and South Africa) arising from the creation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the context of a post-COVID reality.
 

The main objective of this project is to analyse the effects of COVID-19 on international trade and recommend post-recovery strategies in Kenya taking into consideration the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area. The research is particularly important for policymakers since Kenya has had the 8th highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Africa, respectively, as of 9th May 2021. The country is also among the top 10 economies in Africa by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and total trade (exports and imports).

Nigeria’s recent announcement confirming that it is closing its borders to prevent movement of all goods has been met with harsh criticism from neighbors and regional integration advocates. The Buhari administration has justified the decision as a tactic to curb smuggling of goods of which the country wants to internally increase production, such as rice.
 

This empirical study provides an impact assessment of Oman’s free trade agreements (FTAs) on the productivity and exporting capability of its local manufacturing firms. It underlines the significance of FTAs in the development of the country’s industrial sector and the extent to which trade flows and spillover mechanisms impact the performance of local firms. It critically evaluates the five FTAs that Oman has concluded with major trading partners to determine the extent to which the country has benefitted from these agreements.

Oman has been involved in various regional trade integration within the MENA region but has also displayed longstanding Indian ocean connection with the aim to diversity its trading partners and market opportunities. The Indian ocean has always been a trade nexus connecting Asia, the Middle East and Africa and has received new impetus in the course of the current decade. Along with other countries of the region, Oman created in 1997 the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) with the objective of promoting trade liberalization through trade and investment facilitation.

Kenya and the US, in February 2020 jointly announced their intent to initiate negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between themselves. Towards this end, the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development having consulted and heard from from various stakeholders developed Negotiating Objectives and Principles to guide the negotiations for this first bilateral FTA between Kenya and the US. This is now made available for public review.

E-commerce has grown rapidly in Kenya, supported by laws governing information and communications technology (ICT) services, e-commerce transactions, data protection and access to information. The government has established one-stop shops for the provision of government services to citizens and for trade logistics. The country is well positioned to expand its digital trade with the establishment of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), given the policies outlined in the government’s Digital Economy Blueprint.

Globalisation has become an unavoidable incidence with almost every country involved in some new form of economic integration arrangement. In Africa, the largest trade agreement, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was recently signed in order to boost intra-trade and to increase not only economic welfare, but also living standards. However, when such trade arrangements occur, some economic sectors are likely to gain while others shrink due to changes in trade dynamics. The effects are structural changes within the economy of the respective countries.