How Will a Global Trade War Affect Africa? | China

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) improved its growth prospects for sub-Saharan Africa in 2019, citing a recovery in Nigeria. The most populous country in Africa is recovering from its worst contraction in a quarter of a century, thanks to rising prices for commodities such as oil.

And there is a positive contagion effect. In an update of its report on the World Economic Outlook, the IMF said that the entire sub-Saharan region is expected to grow by 3.8% in 2019. This represents an increase of 0, 1% compared to the April forecast.

But there was also a warning about the effect of titling rates.

"The United States has initiated commercial actions affecting a large group of countries and is being retaliated or threatened with retaliation.Our modeling suggests that if current trade policy threats materialize and As business confidence declines, global output could be about 0.5 percent lower than current expectations by 2020, "said the minister. IMF Maury Obstfeld

China is Africa's largest trading partner, so if Chinese products are hit by US tariffs, this could have a ripple effect.

How Will a World Trade War Affect the Continent? And how can Africa overcome the dependence of exporting products?

"Every war is not good, but from an African point of view, we are very focused on how we can continue to participate in world trade." Ade Ayeyemi, CEO of the Ecobank Group.

"I am sure that they will get there, we focus on what we can do to improve … trade between us on the African continent. Intra-African trade is very small. .. it is the only opportunity "

Ayeyemi says that" if you look at the rest of the countries of West Africa, East Africa and D & D North Africa, there is enough expertise if we make sure that the market is available for everyone to participate, to ensure that industries can be located in all these countries … We are now seeing an opportunity … the trade between us ensures that we can grow much faster than before and that wealth can be distributed to the best of the economy. "

] The first habitable 3D printed houses of the world

With technological advances and the advent of 3D printing, it is now possible to print a building – a stir in the construction industry.

Known in the trade as "additive manufacturing", developed in the 1980s. D ue to more sophisticated types of printers we can now print things like houses, clothes or spare parts for planes.

Not only could this revolutionize the way global goods are made, but it could also change the way we live and to build. houses. Supporters believe that cheap 3D homes could even help end homelessness.

So, how do you print a house? And what are the potential implications for the global economy and trade?

Simon Hart, Senior Innovation Director at Innovate UK, speaks to Counting the Cost

"The 3D printing [in construction] is relatively new so one of the challenges is the longevity, the durability of 3D printed structures – especially in areas of harsh climate … floods and even earthquakes, "says Hart

.well in disaster areas or in developing countries where homes can be built very quickly and built with a minimum of skills. All you really need is the people qualified to maintain the print shop. You are not looking to hire hundreds and hundreds of bricks. a 3D printer can run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "

" We still have a long way to go, "says Hart. But he believes that "robotics being available relatively cheaply for a large number of people has the ability to transform the operation of the industry."

Airplanes, E-Commerce and Sports Cars flying

At Farnborough Airshow, the second largest air show in the world, the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing launched the event with $ 4.7 billion to sell 14 Boeing 777 cargo ships from DHL.

Peter Morris, Chief Economist, Flight Ascend, Talks to CTC Global Air Freight Demand

"When You Have Threats of Slowing World Trade and Trade Confrontations between big blocks, This always seems positive, but it's a declining growth rate, "says Morris, explaining that the increase in 2017 is not something that he expects to continue to hope.

"If you look at the last two decades or so, you have seen the growth of air cargo 5, 6 % … but it is obviously affected by the trade cycle and GDP growth … Airfreight is a special type of freight … it tends to be used for more replenishment immediate, and when people want something, they want it now, so v We see a little momentum.

He adds that "unlike pbadengers, freight does not bother upside down in the world, carriers in the Middle East have been able to develop a very important market between l 39; Asia and Europe for example. It does not fly directly but provides good service at the right price. So the freight is slightly different from the trends you see on the pbadenger side.

Also on this episode of Counting the Cost :

Google Antitrust : The European Union hit Google with a record fine of $ 5 billion for the use of its Android smartphone system to illegally boost its search engine – the largest anti-trust penalty in the EU's history Sonja Gallego reports of Paris

Qatar World Cup : We take a look at the largest air-conditioned room in the world and preparations for the World Cup Joanna Gasiorowska reports

Eritrea-Eritrea "bird of peace" Ethiopian Airlines performed the first direct pbadenger flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara, reconnecting with Eritrea and Ethiopia after a 20-year standoff Addis Ababa

Source: Al Jazeera News