15 Jul 2016 -  Theme: Building Productive Capacity to Transform Economies

Organized jointly with the Commonwealth Secretariat

Moderator: Deodat Maharaj, Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Social Development, Commonwealth Secretariat

Panellists:

Joshua Setipa, Minister of Trade and Industry, Government of Lesotho

Rashma Banga, Head and Adviser, Trade Competitiveness Section, Trade Division, Commonwealth Secretariat

Bashir M. Wali, Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Export-Import Bank

Mwinyikione Mwinyihija, Executive Director, COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute

After the crash in commodities prices, it is all the more urgent for commodity-dependent developing countries to diversify their exports. But what is the nature of available opportunities? In recent years, for example, industrialization has stagnated in Africa, while trade in services has boomed. This session will identify strategies for export diversification in commodity-dependent developing countries and consider the experience of countries that have successfully entered new markets.