{
  "id": 1731165,
  "title": "World Bank: 60% of Africa’s trade costs come from within countries",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/world-bank-60-of-africas-trade-costs-come-from-within-countries",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-18T14:22:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nairametrics",
    "slug": "nairametrics",
    "url": "https://nairametrics.com/2026/08/18/world-bank-60-of-africas-trade-costs-come-from-within-countries/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A World Bank report highlights that over half of Africa's trade costs are generated within countries, not at borders, according to the Integrating Africa: From Threads to Hubs study. Key contributors to high trade costs include customs inefficiencies, regulatory inconsistencies, poor logistics services, fragmented transit systems, and inadequate infrastructure. This challenges the conventional focus on tariffs and border controls as primary trade barriers, implying that merely reducing tariffs won't substantially decrease trade costs. The report emphasizes that the main friction points in African trade are internal, not external to the country's borders. These internal barriers are further exacerbated by challenges faced at national borders. Consequently, Africa's trade issues are not primarily about tariffs, as the report suggests that addressing these internal issues would significantly improve trade efficiency. The findings underscore the necessity for African countries to not only liberalize but also harmonize their trade systems to interoperate effectively. This is crucial even in countries where tariffs have been reduced, as disconnected trade-supporting systems can stall progress despite zero tariffs. The report's insights are particularly pertinent to Nigeria and other West African economies, where cross-border road transportation plays a significant role in regional trade. These regions face high logistics costs, regulatory fragmentation, and limited competition. The World Bank's assessment is timely, coming after Nigeria was chosen by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat as the pilot country in West Africa for implementing the Simplified Trade Regime (STR). This initiative aims to streamline trade procedures and reduce transaction costs for small-scale traders.",
  "summary": "Africa’s biggest trade obstacles are occurring within countries rather than at the border, with about 60% of total trade costs coming from behind-the-border barriers, according to a World Bank report. The post World Bank: 60% of Africa’s trade costs come from within countries appeared first on Nairametrics .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}