Woubet Kassa
Blog & Commentary

Notes on trade,
policy & Africa.

Shorter pieces where research meets policy debate — on industrialization, trade agreements, climate, and the economics of everyday goods.

Latest · Sep 1, 2026

Trading for Africa’s Structural Transformation: Why Fit Matters More

Which trade relationships provide the technologies, machinery and intermediate inputs that African economies can absorb, adapt and deploy? Evidence from 52 African countries, 2000–2022. With Gideon Ndubuisi and Solomon Owusu.

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Archive
Sep 1, 2026
Trading for Africa’s Structural Transformation: Why Fit Matters More
Which trade relationships provide the technologies, machinery and intermediate inputs that African economies can absorb, adapt and deploy? Evidence from 52 African countries, 2000–2022. With Gideon Ndubuisi and Solomon Owusu.
Dec 15, 2025
Industrialization in Africa must compete, connect, and create value
Industrialization drives the sustained growth in jobs and productivity that marks the developmental take-off of most developed economies and industrialization remains central to structural transformation in Africa, yet…
Jan 13, 2025
The economic and environmental future of Ethiopian coffee
Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are disrupting Ethiopia's coffee production. This critical export crop faces geographic shifts, increased pests, and declining yields.
Apr 12, 2024
A Bill to renew AGOA with Adjustments, April 11 2024
Two U.S. Senators, one Republican and one Democrat, have introduced the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Renewal and Improvement Act of 2024. This legislation aims to renew AGOA,…
Feb 14, 2022
Valentine’s Day and Development: the Cocoa to Chocolate Story and Africa’s (Mis)Development
Jan 23, 2020
Nigeria’s border closure: a road block or a speed bump on the road to a successful AfCFTA?
(with Albert Zeufack) Original blog appeared here: Nigeria’s border closure: a road block or a speed bump on the road to a successful AfCFTA? (with Albert Zeufack). January…
Nov 15, 2019
Is there an optimal FVA share good for growth?
The rise of global value chains (GVCs) is one of the most important developments in international trade in the last few decades. Following this, developing economies ranging from…
Jun 18, 2018
The latest research on firms in Africa: A round-up of the 2018 Annual Bank Conference on Africa
with Markus Godlstein Original Source: The latest research on firms in Africa: A round-up of the 2018 Annual Bank Conference on Africa
Jan 21, 2018
Blog Posts from my school days: http://ondevelopmentecon.blogspot.com/
Woubet Kassa
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