Beyond the Bottlenecks - Why Trade Policy Alone Won’t Fix Africa’s Logistics Challenges

By Jacqui Cantwell, Commercial Director, C Steinweg Logistics (CSL)

A Tale of Two Tariffs

At first glance, the global shift in tariff policy should be good news for Africa. As trade tariffs ease between certain markets, it seems the path for African exports should clear. But trade today doesn’t flow on paper alone — it flows through ports, roads, rail lines and real-time decision-making. And these physical and operational arteries are currently blocked.

The recent rerouting of cargo from China to the United States, driven by American tariff policies, has created a ripple effect across the globe. Ocean freight rates have surged as importers scramble to front-load shipments ahead of new tariff deadlines. The result is congested ports, overstretched carriers and unprecedented unpredictability in freight pricing.

As African nations focus on trade policy and preferential access agreements, it’s worth asking: “If we waive the toll, but the road is still broken, who can pass?”

The Real Bottlenecks Aren’t at the Border

Trade barriers don’t begin or end at customs desks. They stretch inland — through crumbling roads, delayed port clearances and legacy infrastructure that can’t support modern demand.

While policy frameworks may champion growth, the daily reality for most African businesses lies in navigating outdated systems and fragmented coordination between agencies. The cost and complexity of moving goods within borders often dwarfs the challenges of crossing them.

This is where the policy-practice gap becomes painfully visible. And it’s here that meaningful reform must focus — not only on headline trade deals, but on the logistical lifeblood that moves goods.

Trade Agreements vs Trade Enablement

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), set to expire in September 2025, still offers a critical bridge for African exports to the United States. Yet uncertainty around its renewal under the current US administration adds anxiety for exporters — and discourages investment in long-term capacity.

Beyond AGOA, other frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) show promise. But uptake remains slow. Without harmonised customs protocols, digitised platforms and regional alignment, these policies risk becoming a paper framework rather than catalysts.

Meanwhile, global shifts, including increased United States tariffs on Chinese goods, are forcing supply chains to pivot in unpredictable ways. For African businesses, this often means longer lead times and higher input costs, even if they’re not directly targeted by new policies.

Adaptability Beats Predictability

Resilience often outperforms rigidity. Businesses that build adaptable logistics systems, including diversified routing and contingency planning, are proving more capable of weathering disruption than those focused solely on predictability.

One such example is the Red Sea crisis. When shipping lane disruptions halted movement and sent container rates soaring, many operators were immobilised. Several C Steinweg Logistics clients were able to reroute cargo within hours, not days, but only because we had already designed agility into their logistics planning.

Adaptability is no longer optional. It’s an asset class.

The Africa Layer: Complexity Is the Constant

Africa is not one market. It is a mosaic of regulatory frameworks, languages, standards and infrastructure capabilities. The companies that thrive here are those that understand this complexity, and engage with it at street level.

Multinational logistics providers cannot simply import a global model and expect results. They must operate like regional players — with local networks, bilingual teams, cultural fluency and eyes on the ground. This is the only way to unlock the real potential of intra-African trade.

Enable the Enablers

For African trade to truly flourish, policy reform must be matched by logistics enablement. That means investment in physical infrastructure, skilled personnel, risk management systems and enforcement mechanisms — not just agreements at diplomatic tables.

Governments must recognise logistics providers not merely as vendors, but as growth enablers that are deeply embedded in the success or failure of national trade ambitions.

As leaders in logistics, our role is to build pathways that can adapt, endure and uplift. Because until the infrastructure is as robust as the ambition, policy alone won’t deliver the promise of African trade.

Jacqui Cantwell, Commercial Director at C Steinweg Logistics, argues that while tariff reforms grab headlines, Africa’s real trade barriers lie in its logistics. Outdated infrastructure, fragmented coordination and shifting global routes mean that without investment in enablement, policy alone won’t unlock the continent’s full trade potential.