The global trade landscape is shifting faster than many African landlocked least developed countries (LLDCs) can adapt.
We are pleased to share this timely UN-OHRLLS report, developed by International Economics Consulting and Professor David Luke, which examines the trade patterns, market access conditions and structural constraints shaping African LLDCs and sets out practical priorities for enhancing trade resilience and value addition through regional integration.
Some key highlights:
- African LDCs and LLDCs show strong opportunities for integration in three priority regional value chains: food products, apparel and motor vehicles & parts.
- Transit dependence continues to undermine LLDC competitiveness and integration into regional and global value chains, underscoring the importance of effective transit agreements and corridor-based facilitation measures such as One-Stop Border Posts.
- E-commerce and digital trade are emerging as critical pathways for Africa’s LDCs and LLDCs to diversify exports, connect to regional value chains and overcome traditional barriers to market access.
- Regional integration and South-South cooperation remain central to Africa’s strategy for trade-led industrial transformation, offering LDCs and LLDCs a platform to overcome structural constraints and deepen participation in value-added trade.
Read the full report.
