Understanding Nigeria’s doing business reform cycle

Beijing has applied to join a free trade agreement, once called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which had been originally designed to counter Chinese economic clout. Now, China sees economic opportunity.

Traditionally, the hills of eastern Rwanda were a place for growing coffee, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and bananas. But in recent years, new plants have also appeared, such as patchouli, geranium and eucalyptus. Whole villages have begun to transform them into essential oils, helping lift many inhabitants out of poverty. And demand is booming for these wellness products worldwide. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot.

Traditionally, the hills of eastern Rwanda were a place for growing coffee, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and bananas. But in recent years, new plants have also appeared, such as patchouli, geranium and eucalyptus. Whole villages have begun to transform them into essential oils, helping lift many inhabitants out of poverty. And demand is booming for these wellness products worldwide. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot.

Cigarettes in Indonesia are already among the world's cheapest, but in times of economic hardship, a boom in illegal cigarettes is continuing.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai insisted the country was not in a new Cold War with China despite lingering tensions over trade. She also stressed that the US was keen to repair ties with France and Europe after a recent Australian submarine dispute, which led to the first-ever recall of a French ambassador to the United States.

From luxury boutiques to royal wedding favours, jute is growing in popularity worldwide as demand for alternatives to plastic soars. At a colonial-era jute mill in India's West Bengal state, hundreds of workers labour in a vast hall covered in fine dust, but the environment-friendly fibre is hanging by a thread in India, the world's biggest producer, despite recent efforts to revive the industry.

Beijing is seeking the elimination of US tariffs, while Washington sees the discussions as a test of bilateral engagement between the two major economic powers.

Less than a year since the EU and UK struck a post-Brexit deal, the sides are apparently preparing for a trade war. Tensions over the Northern Ireland Protocol have pushed things to the brink.

After the European car industry moved much of its production into Eastern Europe, some believe the next step is Africa, both for production and a growing consumer market. Should Germany's eastern neighbors be worried?

Ghana's smock garment used to be reserved for royal use. These days, a flood of imported yarn has opened the market to near universal use, and the smock has become a Ghanaian clothing icon. Yet the country's collapsed cotton industry has left the financial fortunes of weavers and smock makers hanging by a thread.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces a comprehensive in-principle free trade agreement with the UK, arrived at after 16 months of talks. London said the deal ends tariffs on British exports such as clothing, footwear, ships and bulldozers. It estimated that trade between the two countries last year was worth £2.3 billion ($3.2 billion, 2.7 billion euros).

The two countries join the ASEAN nations, China, South Korea, and Japan. The pact will cover 30% of the world's population and 53% of last year's exports.