COTE D’IVOIRE AND KENYA ‘ARE RISING TRADE STARS’

COTE D’IVOIRE and Kenya have been named rising stars in a global index that identifies markets with the greatest potential for future trade growth, international banking group Standard Chartered said yesterday. The bank’s Trade20 Index shows Cote d’Ivoire has most rapidly improved its trade growth potential over the past decade, taking first place, while Kenya came in third. The index determines each market’s trade growth potential by analysing changes within the past decade across a range of variables, grouped into three equally weighted pillars: economic dynamism, trade readiness and export diversity. The study, which examined 66 markets around the world, found that, while existing trade powers such as China and India continued to improve their trade potential, African economies were making particularly strong progress from a relatively low starting point. “Kenya is consolidating its position as the trading hub of East Africa, while Cote d’Ivoire is cementing its position as a West African trading hub. Ghana also performs well in the index, placing just outside the top 10,” Standard Chartered said. Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana fared well for economic dynamism, with the former enjoying robust gross domestic produce (GDP) and export growth, while the latter saw an influx of foreign direct investment. “Africa has the potential to become a much bigger player on the global trade stage,” Standard Chartered regional co-head for global banking in the AME region Saif Malik said. “Already connected with the trading powers in Asia, particularly China, through the Belt and Road Initiative, and with the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area, we see numerous growth opportunities for trade and investment in the years ahead.” | African News Agency (ANA)