News

Reimagining Controls on Preferential Origin: Balancing Efficiency With Reduced Trader Costs

Wednesday, 01 April 2026 03:53

Our article challenges conventional thinking in Customs by reframing the concept of control. Its core message is straightforward yet impactful: the problem is not insufficient control, but poorly designed control. It advocates for a transition from blanket verification to risk-based, intelligence-led approaches, where instruments such as self-certification are complemented by targeted ex-post checks and robust penalty structures for non-compliance. This perspective is consistent with growing evidence that overly complex origin requirements undermine both the ability and the willingness of firms to utilize trade preferences. The article goes beyond critique. It sets out a practical pathway toward reducing trader costs, improving compliance, and strengthening enforcement. In doing so, it calls for a broader shift in modern Customs systems (from more control to smarter control), a transition that is particularly critical in developing and least developed countries, where high control levels are often driven by their higher reliance on revenue collection at borders. Read it on the World Customs Journal.

Moments of Dominance: Africa’s Energy Rise Meets Its Case for Reparations

Tuesday, 31 March 2026 16:18

The crisis in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through global energy supply chains. Attacks on refineries and disruptions in traditional shipping routes have created an urgent demand for alternative suppliers. In an insightful discussion with Danilo Desiderio, the founder & CEO of Desiderio Consultants and an expert in African customs, trade and transport policies & regulations, and the African Continental Free Trade Area, he noted that the disruptions in the global energy supply chain are creating a historic window for African energy producers, and with deliberate policies, this moment of geopolitical leverage can translate into tangible economic stability and energy sovereignty for the continent. Link to the podcast.

Supply Chain Research Meets Strategy: A Strategic Alliance to Advance Knowledge and Build Capacity

Friday, 27 March 2026 10:36

Desiderio Consultants Ltd. has entered into a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Advanced Institute for Supply Chain Research (AISCR), establishing a strategic platform for collaboration in research, policy innovation, and capacity building. This partnership lays the groundwork for a forward-looking alliance aimed at advancing supply chain governance and leadership, with a strong focus on Africa. By bridging knowledge and practice, it will drive coordinated initiatives in applied research, executive education, policy dialogue, and talent development across the trade, logistics, and supply chain ecosystem. READ THE FULL COMMUNIQUE.

The Price of Bilateral Ties: How Euro-Mediterranean Agreements and EPAs Influence African Markets

Thursday, 26 March 2026 06:07

In Tunisian ports, cranes move to a rhythm set in Brussels. While ships laden with olive oil and textiles depart for the North, the youth on the docks look to that same horizon as their only hope for a future. This is the paradox of the Mediterranean: a sea that connects two worlds in trade, but separates them in dignity.

Africa Is Integrating, But In The Wrong Way...

Monday, 23 March 2026 06:10

Across the continent, a powerful narrative is progressively gaining ground: Africa is integrating. This is not just a perception: it is supported by data. Intra-African trade has been rising in both value and political importance. It reached approximately $220.3 billion in 2024, marking double-digit growth in recent years. Institutions such as the UN Economic Commission for Africa consistently highlight this upward trend, with projections suggesting that trade within Africa could increase by up to 45% by 2045 under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). At the same time, political discourse has clearly shifted. African leaders, policymakers, and development institutions increasingly frame intra-African trade as the cornerstone of economic resilience and sovereignty, especially in response to global shocks and external dependency. Yet beneath the surface, the reality is more complex.