Tanzania, March 29 -- Yaounde. After a strong 2025 performance, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has warned that conflict in the Middle East now poses the biggest risk to Africa's trade momentum, exposing developing economies such as Tanzania to rising oil prices, disrupted travel flows and mounting food security pressures.

Presenting the outlook during the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference in Cameroon, the organisation's chief economist, Robert Steiger, said the region recorded a sharp recovery last year after a prolonged period of weak performance.

"Africa's trade in goods surged in 2025. After single-digit growth or even contractions in previous years, Africa's exports of goods grew by 10.3 percent in volume terms in 2025, while im...