Intra-African trade registers 15 percent in 2018: official

ASWAN - 26 November 2019: The volume of intra-African trade recorded 15 percent in 2018, Deputy Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform for Planning Affairs Ahmed Kamali said on Monday.

Kamali's remarks were made during a session themed: "African continental free trade and workforce", held as part of the 34th edition of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) for North Africa, hosted by the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan on November 25-28.

Economic indicators show a relatively weak trading volume in Africa, compared to intra-European trade and intra-Asian trade which hit 69 percent and 60 percent respectively in the same year of 2018, Kamali noted.

The official underlined the need to improve economic indicators in Africa to make the optimum use of relevant free trade agreements.

Africa’s infrastructure annual requirements amount to a whopping $130 to $170 billion, Kamali pointed out.