EU lays out plan to double trade with Namibia

The European Union (UN) says it is keen to further bolster its trade relations with Namibia following the launch of the Namibia trade information portal, and says it may deepen export markets particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This was the sentiment of EU ambassador to Namibia, Ana Beatriz Martins. The portal is designed to provide businesses with a single source of trade-related regulations, easing access to key information needed for imports, exports, and compliance. Now in operation, it aims to reduce delays, cut costs, and make it easier for businesses and SMEs to expand into international markets.“The EU is actually Namibia's biggest trading partner and most diverse, so we are Namibia's first export market and also the most diverse market for Namibia with products ranging from charcoal to fisheries to mines and other agricultural products,” Martins said of the EU’s efforts to expand trade relations. “We are very happy with the outcome of this two-year effort to dynamize even more of our trade relations and the diversity of the market in particular, I think the ones that will benefit most from this tool are the SMEs, which as we know are the biggest generators of jobs.” she added. Executive director in the ministry of industrialisation, Sikongo Haihambo welcomed the initiative, saying that trade remained central to Namibia’s economic growth. “We cannot afford to lag behind. This portal will give businesses the clarity they need to trade with confidence,” he said.“This tool will enhance that further,” Martins said, referring to the newly launched portal.Executive Director of the ministry, Sikongo Haihambo, stressed that the country’s location within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) offered an advantage for trade expansion, but access to reliable information had often been an obstacle. “We cannot afford to lag behind. This portal will give businesses the clarity they need to trade with confidence,” he said.A recently commissioned independent report by economist and author of the ‘Guide to the Namibia Economy’, Robin Sherbourne, confirmed that Namibia sent more of its goods to Europe than anywhere else, indicating the depth of trade between the two partners.The report revealed that in 2023, 95% of Namibian exports to the EU went to Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, and Portugal. Namibia primarily exported diamonds, uranium, gold, refined copper, hake, table grapes, charcoal, marble, and leather hides to the EU. Additionally, the EU functioned as a single trading bloc, making it a crucial partner in Namibia’s export market alongside South Africa, Botswana, and China.

EU lays out plan to double trade with Namibia

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Republikein 2025-04-15

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EU lays out plan to double trade with Namibia

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