Governments are racing to implement measures to avoid a situation like Italy’s, where cases skyrocketed before lockdowns were put in place.
The region stands to be affected by shortages of raw materials, capital goods, and delays in getting consumer goods which were originally imported from the Asia region.
The East African Community (EAC) stands to be affected by shortages of raw materials, capital goods and delays in getting consumer goods, which were originally imported from the Asia region.
Following the first reports of Covid-19 in mainland China in late 2019, over 300,000 people have since died of the disease, with over five million infections reported worldwide.
To limit infections, several countries in Asia, Middle East, Europe and the Americas have banned large gatherings and imposed strict travel restrictions.
The global pandemic will most likely continue as efforts to find a potential cure are made.
STRICT MEASURES
South Korea has started seeing the reduction in the number of Covid -19 cases after it moved swiftly to implement tough measures. The same was seen in China.
Governments are racing to implement safety measures to avoid a situation like Italy’s, where cases skyrocketed before lockdowns were put in place.
In Africa, the Covid-19 cases present a significant challenge to the EAC economies due to the countries’ links with the world economy.
EAC trade is set to be affected negatively, given the region’s trade ties to China, Europe and the Middle East, which are among the regions heavily affected by the pandemic.
The region stands to be affected by shortages of raw materials, capital goods, and delays in getting consumer goods from the Asia region.Already some EAC states are experiencing declines in imports from China, including raw materials, capital goods, intermediate goods, and final products.However, medical supplies and essential goods are coming into the region.Kenya’s imports from China plunged by Sh58.64 billion in January and February on the back of the outbreak, signalling possible supply disruptions of household goods and raw materials across Africa. IMPORTS DECLINE Provisional import data from Kenya shows the value of goods ordered from China in January and February dropped by 36.63 per cent compared to a similar period in 2019.On the contrary, trade has emerged as a remedy that can mitigate this adversity through the flow of essential goods, like food and medical supplies.Of importance to the EAC economies is the nature of informal cross-border trade, which is mostly conducted by small and […]