{"id":121799,"date":"2026-03-13T14:39:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T17:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/899209122"},"modified":"2026-03-13T14:39:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T17:39:11","slug":"regional-maritime-body-warns-malawi-cooperate-or-remain-locked-out-of-global-shipping-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/13\/regional-maritime-body-warns-malawi-cooperate-or-remain-locked-out-of-global-shipping-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Regional maritime body warns Malawi: Cooperate or remain locked out of global shipping trade"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Maritime Organisation for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa (MOESNA) has urged Malawi to urgently deepen cooperation with regional partners or risk remaining structurally sidelined from the global shipping industry that carries the bulk of world trade.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

MOESNA Secretary General Kassim Mpaata delivered the blunt message on Thursday in Lilongwe during the opening of a stakeholders\u2019 sensitisation workshop aimed at promoting best practices in shipping and international trade while highlighting the strategic importance of maritime transport to the region\u2019s economies.<\/p>\n

Malawi has now formally joined MOESNA, but the country\u2014like many others in Africa\u2014remains severely disadvantaged within the global maritime transport system. This imbalance has major economic consequences on a continent where more than 90 percent of international trade moves by sea.<\/p>\n

For land-linked countries such as Malawi, the situation is even more challenging.<\/p>\n

Mpaata said Malawi\u2019s heavy dependence on foreign ports and international shipping lines leaves the country exposed to high transport costs, fragile supply chains, and limited influence over the terms of global trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese challenges are even more pronounced for land-linked countries such as Malawi,\u201d said Mpaata. \u201cThey highlight the urgent need for regional cooperation, policy harmonisation and collective engagement with international shipping markets if we are to improve connectivity and competitiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n

He warned that Africa\u2019s cargo continues to be dominated by multinational shipping companies, a situation that drains foreign exchange from the continent while leaving individual African states with little say in the global maritime system.<\/p>\n

\u201cMultinational carriers dominate the carriage of African cargo, resulting in significant foreign exchange outflows and limited policy influence by individual states. These challenges cannot be solved through isolated national responses\u2014they require coordinated regional action,\u201d Mpaata said.<\/p>\n

He added that Malawi\u2019s decision to join MOESNA and prioritise maritime issues signals a recognition that participation in modern shipping and logistics systems is critical for economic growth and resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrengthening participation in maritime transport and logistics systems is essential for enhancing trade competitiveness and economic resilience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri echoed the concerns, acknowledging that Malawi\u2019s economic future is closely tied to efficient logistics systems and stronger regional transport partnerships.<\/p>\n

Phiri said Malawi\u2019s participation in the regional maritime framework is aimed at strengthening logistics systems, improving access to international shipping routes, and reducing the high cost of doing business.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy participating in this regional framework, Malawi seeks to strengthen logistics systems, enhance access to maritime trade routes, secure support for capacity building, ensure reliable connectivity to global markets, and reduce the cost of doing business,\u201d Phiri said.<\/p>\n

He stressed that for Malawi\u2014a land-linked economy\u2014access to seaports alone is not enough. Efficient and coordinated inland transport corridors are equally critical if the country is to reduce trade costs and improve its competitiveness in global markets.<\/p>\n

MOESNA is a regional intergovernmental body mandated to promote and protect the shipping and maritime interests of member states across Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa while strengthening cooperation in maritime transport and logistics.<\/p>\n

The stakeholders\u2019 meeting in Lilongwe was organised by MOESNA in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works as part of efforts to position Malawi and other regional economies to benefit more meaningfully from global maritime trade.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… remaining structurally sidelined from the global shipping<\/span> industry that carries the bulk … Africa\u00e2\u0080\u0099s cargo<\/span> continues to be dominated by multinational shipping<\/span> companies, a … systems, improving access to international shipping<\/span> routes, and reducing the high …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121799\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}