Indian exporters on edge as mpox crisis looms over Africa trade

As the African continent grapples with a surge in Monkeypox cases, Indian exporters are keeping a close watch on the developing situation in the region, a crucial market for domestic exports.

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of suspected and confirmed Monkeypox cases in Africa has surged to 18,737 since the start of the year, with a staggering 1,200 new cases reported in just one week.

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Exporters wary of potential disruptions

While the disease’s spread is currently concentrated in certain regions, exporters fear it could escalate, impacting trade. ”As of now, the spread is not rampant, but looking into the infection, the exporters are definitely concerned, hoping it will not spread,” Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai told PTI.

Another exporter said that so far, there is no lockdown-like situation in the continent, and therefore, no payment delays are happening. ”But, we are keeping our fingers crossed,” he said.

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the epicentre of the outbreak, with 1,005 cases and 24 deaths reported in a single week. The new and more contagious Clade 1b strain was first detected in the DRC in September 2023. The entire country, home to over 100 million people, has been affected. Neighbouring Burundi has also seen a sharp increase in cases, with 173 reported in the past week.

India’s leading footwear exporter and Chennai-based Farida Group Chairman Rafeeq Ahmed said the situation is not alarming, but ”we are worried about the spread of the disease”.

The Group has a facility in Ethiopia.

India watching closely, taking precautions

Think tank GTRI said the direct impact of the MPox outbreak on global trade has been relatively limited so far, though the situation warrants close monitoring.

Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to strict travel bans, the current MPox situation has not necessitated such drastic measures, Globe Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) founder Ajay Srivastava said.

However, ”India must remain vigilant to the evolving situation. India should take precautionary measures to mitigate any potential disruptions in trade and ensure that its public health responses are well-coordinated to prevent the virus from impacting its economy,” Srivastava said.

Currently, there are no reported cases of Monkeypox in India, even though cautionary measures will be put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The WHO has already declared an international health emergency on Wednesday. Notably, the 2022 outbreak of mpox in developed countries prompted a significant increase in research funding, resulting in an unprecedented surge in scientific studies.

In 2022, the WHO first declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

It was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures like sensitising the health units at all airports, seaports and ground crossings; readying the testing laboratories (32); gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case are put in place.

The WHO’s declaration of 2022 was revoked in May 2023. Since 2022, it has globally reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to Monkeypox from 116 countries.

India-Africa trade flourishing, but vulnerable

The bilateral trade of India with Africa grew by 9.26 per cent in 2022-23 to about USD 100 billion. The exports stood at USD 51 billion, while imports were USD 47 billion.

Both sides are looking at taking the trade to USD 200 billion by 2030.

India’s exports to Africa are dominated by crude oil and pharmaceutical products, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the total exports into African markets.

Primarily, Africa exports raw materials like crude oil and minerals, gold, copper, and cashew nuts to India and imports refined petroleum, pharmaceutical products, vehicles, and telecom equipment.

With inputs from agencies.