International trade can drive development, but its benefits remain unevenly distributed. Trade barriers, low productive diversification, and limited capacity to add value reduce the participation of many countries in global value chains.
The session will discuss ways to expand trade among Global South countries and strengthen integration between Africa, Brazil, and other regions. Topics addressed will include trade facilitation, logistics and infrastructure financing, and strategies for building more balanced and inclusive economic relations.
- What logistical, infrastructural, and regulatory bottlenecks most constrain Global South countries’ access to international value chains, and which trade facilitation measures — such as customs simplification, transport corridors, or digital trade infrastructure — could most effectively expand trade flows
- Which trade financing instruments have been most effective in correcting structural asymmetries between trading partners, and how can these tools be leveraged to build more balanced, inclusive economic relations among Brazil, Africa, and other Global South countries?
- What public policies and forward-looking initiatives can be adopted to promote regional integration frameworks and trade ties between Mercosur and the AfCFTA, as well as with other trade blocs?