Addis Ababa, August 21, 2025 (ENA) -- From Sept. 4 to 10, the Algerian capital will become the epicenter of African trade. More than a mere economic gathering, the fourth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair symbolizes Algeria's unwavering continental ambition-one that the nation is determined to fully embrace. A "work of projection and observation"— such was the recognition given to the substantial efforts undertaken following a thorough consultation on the current state of preparations and the key recommendations concerning the intensification of the organizational phase of the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair, scheduled to take place in Algiers in September. This event far exceeds the scope of a conventional economic exhibition. In a constantly evolving geopolitical context, where shifting balances redefine Africa's priorities, the organization of this fair in Algiers stands as a bold undertaking — a pivotal moment in the continent's trajectory. It provides Algeria with a unique opportunity to showcase its capacity to align economic aspirations with logistical expertise and forward-thinking diplomacy. The IATF 2025 is a strategic occasion for Algeria to reaffirm its place within the African economic sphere and to project a revitalized image of its productive capabilities. It aims to elevate intra-African cooperation to a structural level, yielding tangible outcomes in terms of trade facilitation and deeper integration into the continent's commercial momentum. Yet, this continental fair goes well beyond the framework of a trade exhibition; it represents a critical milestone in the operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area, offering Algeria an unparalleled platform to highlight its export potential. The political commitment surrounding the event is a testament to the Algerian authorities' resolve to make the IATF a structural success that serves the cause of regional integration. Beyond visibility, the ultimate goal is to transform the fair into a lever for sustainable economic diversification and a cornerstone of Algeria's strategic repositioning. Algiers is preparing to host a landmark event that embodies the continent's economic convergence. This dynamic follows the historic continuity of Algeria's commitment to African unity. Since gaining independence, the country has distinguished itself by actively supporting liberation movements and consistently engaging in a diplomacy that champions continental causes. Algeria's leading role within the African Union and its election to head numerous AU bodies are a direct reflection of this legacy, legitimizing Algiers as the host city of a continental event eagerly anticipated by entrepreneurs and economic experts alike. "To align all available means with the nation's African ambition" — this is the guiding principle shaping Algeria's strategic deployment of resources to enhance its image and influence. It involves the meticulous coordination of infrastructure, logistics, administrative procedures, protocol, financing, customs facilitation, transportation, accommodation, tourism, communication and marketing. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, unwavering in his Pan-African convictions, has consistently worked to strengthen political alignment across the continent. His vision is rooted in active solidarity, mutual support in facing common challenges, and, above all, a clear economic ambition: initiating a new growth dynamic powered by Africa's internal capacities and driven by intra-African trade. The slogan "Africa for Africans," which served as a foundational pillar of Pan-Africanism since the establishment of the Organization of African Unity, was first proclaimed from Algiers. It is no coincidence that today's pursuit of African economic renewal is once again anchored in this land of resistance and revolutionary fervor. Through IATF 2025, Algeria reasserts its role as a strategic crossroads and a driving force behind autonomous continental development. President Tebboune's strategy is underpinned by a long-term vision: the diversification of the national economy, the intensification of African partnerships, and a firmly stated intention to break free from asymmetrical economic relations. This bold approach finds tangible expression in the organization of this Pan-African fair, which many experts view as a vital instrument for promoting commercial exchange across a market estimated at over $3 trillion. Algeria is mobilizing all necessary resources to ensure that the IATF 2025 becomes a benchmark event — a strategic turning point in Algeria's economic projection across the African continent, aligned with the aspirations of its peoples. By hosting this major gathering, Algiers is not merely assuming the role of host; it is actively translating into reality a shared vision for the future, grounded in enduring and robust trade relations. September 4 will mark far more than an economic or diplomatically symbolic occasion. Algiers will embody a collective determination to deepen economic cooperation, driven by political will, as reaffirmed by Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria. Within a single week, Algiers will reconnect with its destiny as a great African capital, laden with historical significance and the enduring hope of African unity. At a time when the continent is seeking new foundations, the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers emerges as a beacon of exchange, ambition and reciprocity. Source - Algerian Embassy in Addis Ababa END

By Samiya Mohammed The thunderclap of Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs has a tempest across Africa’s economic landscape. With rates soaring to 50% for Lesotho’s textiles, 47% for Madagascar’s vanilla, and 30% for South Africa’s autos, the policies crystallize a brutality of nations nurtured by AGOA’s duty-free access now face commercial exile from their largest Northern market. Within this turbulence lies a galvanizing truth: Africa’s survival hinges not on pleading for Western leniency but on accelerating its continental trade renaissance. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfFTA) emerges as a spearhead for structural sovereignty. Trump’s tariff architecture, basing rates on bilateral trade deficits divided by imports, betrays a grotesque illogic. Lesotho is among the most severely impacted countries in Africa. The country exports approximately 200 million USD in textiles to the United States, while importing only 3 million USD in return. With the introduction of the new reciprocal tariff system, Lesotho is confronted with tariffs as high as 50 percent on its exported goods. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are also encountering significant difficulties. Ghana has been subjected to a 10 percent tariff, whereas Côte d’Ivoire, recognized as an agricultural powerhouse exporting nearly 1 billion USD in cocoa to the United States, has faced a 21 percent duty. This mathematical cruelty ignores why deficits exist. Africa exports raw minerals exempt from tariffs, but faces punitive rates on value-added goods like apparel or processed cocoa, the very industries AGOA sought to nurture. Landlocked states like Botswana rely on South African ports. Tariffs on South Africa thus cascade regionally, fracturing supply chains like brittle glass. This challenge has escalated even though negotiations are currently taking place with the Trump administration. The World Trade Organization (WTO), which was created to promote a rules-based global trading system, appears to be concerned about this crisis. Its dispute resolution mechanism, which is fundamental to its effectiveness, is essentially weakened, obstructing its capacity to tackle trade disparities and protect the interests of member countries. This immobilization carries significant consequences for the global economy, potentially resulting in heightened trade tensions, retaliatory actions, and a deterioration of the core principles of international trade agreements. However, the organization is optimist about Africa. When Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the WTO, spoke at the opening plenary session of the 4th Finance for Development Conference in Seville this year, she remarked that developing nations, which had anticipated boosting export revenues to avert a decline in their balance of payments, are now faced with a disruption so significant that it contributes to financial instability. “This is why we have argued that least developed countries as a group, and Africa as a region, should be exempted from these reciprocal tariffs, so we can better integrate them into the world trading system, not further exclude them, so that they can stand a better chance to earn the resources with which to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.” The call made by the head of the WTO is significant, as it may assist nations on the continent in negotiating according to the principle of reciprocity, grounded in the national interests of each country. However, Africans possess a wealth of opportunities within their own borders. These opportunities could potentially elevate the continent to a prominent position on the global political and economic stage, providing substantial leverage. Engaging in trade among themselves is crucial to alleviating the impending threat of the current global trade war. While appealing to Washington to consider exemptions for the poorest nations, Okonjo-Iweala said the continent must not wait for outside leniency. She said the message is simply that Africa must become more self-reliant. To achieve that, she emphasized the urgent need to mobilize domestic resources, streamline regulatory bottlenecks, and, above all, deepen intra-African trade, which currently accounts for only 16 percent to 20 percent of the continent’s commerce. Here is the remedy. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) encompassing 54 nations over 1.3 billion people is no longer a bureaucratic dream but an urgent lifeline. The effective execution of this agreement is anticipated to enhance intra-African trade and generate opportunities for Africa to industrialize and increase its competitiveness in the global market. As global trade fragments, Africa’s internal market projected to hit $3.4 trillion by 2030 becomes the ultimate insulator. Such synergies are latent. AfCFTA’s reduction of 90% intra-African tariffs makes them viable and urgent, as Chinese manufacturers, locked out of U.S. markets, may flood Africa with cheap goods, undercutting nascent industries. Bilateral pleas have failed. Lesotho’s delegations secured only partial tariff reductions South Africa’s White House meeting yielded symbolism, not salvation. Unity is non-negotiable. As AU Chair João Lourenço could broker a grand bargain duty-free access for U.S. firms to Africa’s booming consumer markets in exchange for tariff relief on African apparel and agro-processing. Simultaneously, Africa’s critical minerals 92% of Botswana’s exports, 81% of DRC’s grant leverage. The U.S. needs cobalt for EVs and platinum for hydrogen Africa need not surrender it cheaply. Trump’s tariffs are a searing indictment of global trade’s hypocrisy but also Africa’s historic fragmentation. The answer isn’t despair but defiance through integration. Implementation accelerants are critical. Pilot transactions between Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, and South Africa must scale from hundreds to millions of shipments. Lesotho’s textile workers deserve subsidies for retraining or factory pivots to regional markets. China’s offer of duty-free access to 53 African nations, excluding, must be leveraged, but cautiously avoiding new dependency traps. As Wamkele Mene, AfCFTA Secretary-General, declares, “No single market will survive alone. Our combined population is our power”. The tariff storm may rage, but within it, Africa plants the seeds of an irreversible economic emancipation. Let factories hum in Lagos for Addis consumers, let Congolese tech startups scale in Johannesburg hubs. When trade walls rise, continents that trade with themselves thrive. Africa’s moment is not coming; it is here, forged in the fire of unjust tariffs and seized by continental vision.