Africa-France summit ends with push to overhaul key trade rules

French President Emmanuel Macron with his counterpart William Ruto during the closing of the Africa Forward Summit, May 12, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The global trade rules largely dictated by the developed economies have been challenged in the just-concluded Africa Forward Summit, where Heads of State from the continent insisted they must be reviewed.

They say the global economy runs on unilateral and uncoordinated rules by the West, which depresses commodity prices to the disadvantage of the African countries.