Angola strengthens legal and economic frameworks for international trade

Angola is focusing on strengthening its legal and economic frameworks to better navigate international trade and investment. Jurist Carlos Feijó has called for enhanced institutional and legal capacity to prevent and manage investment disputes, particularly following the 2023 entry into force of the Angola-China Reciprocal Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement. Feijó emphasized the need to update the Arbitration Law, clarify public appropriation regimes, and train specialized lawyers to handle international arbitration processes.

Simultaneously, economic integration is being framed as a necessity for national competitiveness. Anatólio Domingos, National Director for Integration and Economic Development at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, highlighted that joining the SADC Free Trade Area requires Angola to move beyond diplomatic ambition toward active market competition. He noted that for Angola to benefit from regional markets, domestic companies must improve production quality, logistics, and financing to ensure they can export effectively rather than merely relying on imports.