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Tradewinds
Tradewinds is a monthly newsletter produced by the West Africa Trade Hub.
October, 2011
Usually, Richard Waycott is focused on almonds – and nothing but. Which makes perfect sense because he is the Executive Director of the Almond Board of California. For more than 60 years the...
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South Africa has led design in Africa for decades, but the recent pan-African DNA show in Johannesburg has shown that the rest of the continent is close behind. Thirty of Africa’s best...
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For the last five years, exports from the Gambia have steadily increased – but they are still much lower than they could be, business leaders said. They are hopeful for improvements after a new...
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Checkpoints are the bane of the transport industry in West Africa – delaying the movement of vehicles carrying goods and people and frustrating drivers, passengers and traders with unscrupulous...
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Annual Shea Industry Conference set for 2012The 6th annual shea industry conference will take place April 23-27, 2012, in Cotonou, Benin, the Global Shea Alliance announced. The conference brings...
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September, 2011
The signs of a transformed shea industry abound: Seven years ago, a five-acre patch of land just north of Tamale in northern Ghana was just a barren piece of land, pasture for some goats. Today, it...
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Since 2006, the UEMOA-USAID Trade Hub road governance initiative has lifted the veil on the checkpoints, bribes and delays that impede the movement of goods and people in West Africa. This month, the...
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The ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme has many companies – and countries – playing a game of “What if?” What if businesses could move goods more quickly – at lower cost...
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For years, cashew processors have been making individual efforts to access financing for capital investment, working capital and trade transactions. But despite their best efforts, the companies...
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In the last 10 years, the shea industry’s growth across West Africa has been tremendous. The story of Fludor, a shea processor in Benin, exemplifies the sector’s steady and...
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More than 250 stakeholders representing every aspect of the industry and spanning the globe have registered for the 6th annual conference of the African Cashew Alliance, Sept. 19-22 in Banjul,...
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August, 2011
Alfred Braimah, director of the ECOWAS Private Sector Department, worked with Acting ACA President Idrissa Kilangi and GSA President Eugenia Akuete during the two-day workshop.Seeking to improve the...
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For every minute a truck is delayed crossing a border – perhaps for every second – an importer or an exporter has a story about how business could be booming if those delays were...
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Nearly six years ago, Elitza Barzakova joined the USAID Trade Hub as its Home Décor & Fashion Accessories Advisor. In 2009, she became Market Linkages Manager, based in New York City. Now, she...
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As consumers increasingly want to know where the products they consume come from, exporting companies are responding in innovative ways. Using the latest technology, SAP Research and the African...
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Technical assistance in Africa typically flows from the outside in. Thompson Avornyotse teaches American students kente weaving.Long-standing USAID Trade Hub client and master kente, weaver,...
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Exhibitors from 14 African countries, including seven from West Africa (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, The Gambia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali and Nigeria) showcased the continent's culinary offerings at...
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Richard Waycott, the CEO of the California Almond Board, will be among the high-level industry stakeholders to participate in the 6th annual conference of the African Cashew Alliance, Sept. 19-22 in...
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July, 2011
At the 10th Annual AGOA Forum in Lusaka, Zambia, in June, the U.S. Government announced the African Competitiveness and Trade Expansion initiative - $120 million over four years to support the trade...
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A series of Borderless workshops in cities in Ghana, co-sponsored by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and the USAID Trade Hub, has led to reductions in delays and bribes at numerous checkpoints,...
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Meeting in Ghana, high-level experts from ECOWAS member states have identified priority actions to improve the implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), which would reduce the...
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Gari Foto - Togolese cooking is spicy and colorful!I had my first African meal almost 23 years ago, at the Asmara Ethiopian restaurant in Cambridge, Mass. I’ll never forget that meal, because...
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In mid-June, the Ghana Free Zones Board approved an application from an apparel manufacturer that is setting up its operation in Koforidua, a small city of almost 100,000 people. The USAID Trade Hub...
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Leading fashion designers will exhibit their latest styles at Africa Fashion Week New York July 11-14 in New York City. More than 20 leading designers are participating under the theme, "Where...
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Women entrepreneurs are building connections, sharing ideas and doing more business as the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program continues to connect business leaders, members said after...
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June, 2011
Information and communication technology (ICT) helps businesses innovate, communicate, reach markets, and operate more efficiently, and African entrepreneurs are just starting to tap this potential....
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Cheick DialloTwenty years ago when I began working in West Africa the world was aware of the strong ethnic design sensibilities in Africa, particularly through traditional masks and textiles. Kuba...
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Almost 20 years ago, after working with a company to export shea butter to Japan, Gilles Adamom set out on his own. Today, his company Natura exports thousands of bars of soap every month from Benin...
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Taste of Africa will help more than 20 West African companies connect to buyers across the U.S. in this year’s Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. July 10-12. Sarah Commerford has prepared...
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The prime ministers of Mali and Senegal, accompanied by their ministers, customs directors general, officers from the police and gendarmerie services, experts from both countries and representatives...
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