Connecting Commerce: BRICS, Africa, and the Next Frontiers in Global Trade 

Trade facilitation and the need to develop international transport infrastructure and logistics corridors that are resilient, secure, and cost-effective—especially across routes that have hitherto been unexplored—have become important trade imperatives in recent times. This is the result of a series of unfortunate events that have plagued international trade, from the COVID-19 pandemic to conflict in West Asia. BRICS countries, with expanding African participation, have a unique opportunity to adopt a focused approach to infrastructure financing, guided by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

• How can BRICS members and partners collectively drive strategic investments in robust logistics infrastructure?
• What can be done to optimise projects listed in the AfCFTA effort to ensure intra-African connectivity?
• What innovations in supply chain resilience are required to enable this? Which new trade corridors need more attention?
• Where are the gaps in multi-modal connectivity and warehousing that need to be filled?