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U.S. imposes travel ban from eight African countries over Omicron variant

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Biden lifts Omicron-related travel restrictions on 8 southern African countries

By Stefan Becket

December 28, 2021 / 2:01 PM EST / CBS News

Washington — President Biden signed a proclamation on Tuesday rescinding a previous order that restricted travel from eight countries in southern Africa in the hopes of containing the now-widespread Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The highly contagious strain, which now accounts for the vast majority of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., was first detected by scientists in South Africa in late November. Mr. Biden quickly restricted travel by non-U.S. citizens from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi in response.

In his proclamation on Tuesday, Mr. Biden said the restrictions "are no longer necessary to protect the public health" and will be lifted after midnight on December 31.

"Having learned more about the Omicron variant in the past several weeks, the CDC now recommends lifting the travel restrictions," Mr. Biden wrote. "Since I issued that proclamation, our Nation's health officials, in collaboration with the South African scientists who originally reported the variant, have made substantial progress in understanding the Omicron variant."

The president pointed to new efforts to screen incoming travelers, including a requirement that all travelers entering the U.S. by air must test negative for COVID-19 within a day of their flight, regardless of vaccination status. The previous window was three days.

The quick spread of the Omicron variant surprised public health officials, and they have stepped up efforts to encourage Americans to get their vaccinations and booster shots, which offer strong protection from the new strain.

Mr. Biden's decision to restrict travel from southern Africa was called into question by prominent scientists, including from the World Health Organization, who argued the administration was unnecessarily punishing South Africa and other countries for identifying and quickly reporting the emergence of the new variant.

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Stefan Becket is managing editor, digital politics, for CBSNews.com. He helps oversee a team covering the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, immigration and federal law enforcement.

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UPDATE: The Biden administration will lift its temporary travel restrictions on Dec. 31 on eight southern African countries, the White House said Friday . Restrictions were put in place last month in an attempt to slow the spread of the omicron variant.

The Biden administration is “considering” reversing its travel ban on eight African countries due to the prevalence of omicron within the United States.

The Biden administration had imposed the ban to the prevalence of omicron within the United States.

The U.S. enacted the travel restrictions in late November in an attempt to slow the spread of omicron within the U.S. Since then, the omicron variant has become the dominant version of the coronavirus in the country, accounting for 73% of new infections last week, according to federal health officials. 

►Christmas flights canceled: United, Delta say omicron spike is causing some holiday flight cancellations

Learn more: Best travel insurance

► Is it safe to travel right now?: What health experts are doing for the holidays this year

“We put the travel ban on just to see how much time we had before it hit here so we can begin to decide what we needed by looking at what's happening in other countries,” President Joe  Biden said  during an address to the nation Tuesday when asked if he would lift the travel ban. “But we're past that now. And so it's something that is being raised with me by the docs now, and I'll have an answer for that soon.”

Other countries that had previously announced travel bans against countries in southern Africa, including Canada, have since dropped the travel restrictions. 

The CDC's travel  ban affects South Africa – where omicron was first detected – as well as Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Most noncitizens who have been in those countries within the past 14 days are not allowed to enter the U.S. 

The restrictions came shortly after the U.S. dropped its travel ban  against dozens of other countries on Nov. 8. 

The travel bans have been a point of contention, with groups like the World Health Organization concerned that the travel bans would disincentivize countries from sharing information on new variants of concern while doing little to slow the spread of the virus. 

While the travel ban may be lifted soon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against travel to the eight countries since they are considered to have  "very high" COVID-19 risk. 

►Are travel bans worth it?: They could slow the spread of omicron but they have repercussions, experts say

►Travel ban: US to restrict travel from South Africa, seven other countries due to new COVID-19 variant omicron

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz . 

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US to lift Omicron travel ban on eight African countries

Biden had barred nearly all non-US citizens who had recently been in the countries, over concerns about the Covid variant

The Biden administration will lift travel restrictions on eight southern African countries imposed last month over concerns about the fast-spreading Covid-19 Omicron variant, the White House said Friday.

Foreign nationals who are barred from the US because they have been in one of the eight countries within the prior 14 days will again be allowed on US-bound flights leaving after 12.01am US east coast time on 31 December, a senior official said, confirming an earlier Reuters report.

The United States on 29 November barred nearly all non-US citizens who had recently been in South Africa , Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi in an “abundance of caution” over the variant detected in South Africa.

White House spokesman Kevin Munoz tweeted that Biden “will lift the temporary travel restrictions on Southern Africa countries” effective 31 December.

He said the decision was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron and we know our existing vaccines work against Omicron, esp boosted,” Munoz tweeted .

On Dec. 31, @POTUS will lift the temporary travel restrictions on Southern Africa countries. This decision was recommended by @CDCgov . The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron and we know our existing vaccines work against Omicron, esp boosted. https://t.co/NdRTtntRuE — Kevin Munoz (@KMunoz46) December 24, 2021

Reuters reported earlier US public health agencies had recommended lifting the travel restrictions because retaining them would have not a significant impact on US cases given the widespread current US transmission, confidence that an Omicron-specific vaccine would not be necessary and that existing vaccines and booster shots are highly effective.

“This travel pause has served its purpose. It bought time to understand the science, it gave time to analyze the variant,” the official, who was unnamed prior to White House confirmation, told Reuters.

“This was not meant to keep Omicron out. We knew we couldn’t do that. The point was to reduce the number of cases coming in – in those early days and weeks.“

The restrictions have not prevented flights or Americans from returning from southern Africa.

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US to lift omicron-linked travel ban on southern Africa

President Joe Biden signs the “Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act” into law during a ceremony in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Holdiaymakers enjoy a day at Strand Beach near Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. South Africa’s drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent days may signal the country’s dramatic omicron-driven surge has passed its peak, medical experts say. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will lift travel restrictions on eight southern African countries that it imposed to try to blunt the spread of the COVID omicron variant, the White House announced Friday.

The variant, which was first detected by scientists in South Africa, has since spread around the world. The World Health Organization and leaders in southern Africa criticized the travel ban as ineffective and unfairly damaging to local economies.

The Nov. 29 ban barred nearly all non-U.S. citizens who had recently been in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The restrictions will be lifted on New Year’s Eve.

White House spokesman Kevin Munoz said on Twitter that the decision was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Munoz said the temporary travel bans bought scientists necessary time to study the new virus variant and conclude that the current vaccinations are effective in blunting its impact.

Omicron is now spreading rapidly throughout the U.S., including among the vaccinated, but a huge majority of those being hospitalized are unvaccinated.

“The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron and we know our existing vaccines work against Omicron, esp boosted,” Munoz tweeted.

Much about the omicron coronavirus variant remains unknown; scientists say omicron spreads even easier than other coronavirus strains, including delta. The government reports that 73% of new infections nationwide are from the omicron variant. But while breakthrough infections among vaccinated people have become common, they have rarely led to severe illness or hospitalization.

The rapid advance of omicron, along with more people gathering indoors during winter, has led to a major infection spike. The seven-day rolling average for U.S. COVID-19 cases climbed past 160,000 this week, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. That’s more than double the average in late November.

The rapid spread of the new variant hasn’t overwhelmed most domestic hospital systems yet, but it has roiled businesses, sports leagues and Christmas travel plans across the country. Multiple NBA and NFL games have been rescheduled due to COVID outbreaks, and the Hawaii Bowl, scheduled for Friday, was cancelled outright after Hawaii was forced to withdraw. Three major airlines have cancelled dozens of domestic and international flights, citing staffing shortages.

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As Omicron Variant Circles the Globe, African Nations Face Blame and Bans

With countries trying to close their doors to the new coronavirus variant, southern African officials note that the West’s hoarding of vaccines helped create their struggle in the first place.

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By Benjamin Mueller and Declan Walsh

Nations in southern Africa protested bitterly on Saturday as more of the world’s wealthiest countries cut them off from travel, renewing a debate over border closures from the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic and compounding the problems facing poorly vaccinated countries.

A new coronavirus variant called Omicron, first detected in Botswana, put governments on edge after South Africa announced a surge of cases this week, plunging countries into the most uncertain moment of the pandemic since the highly contagious Delta variant took hold this spring.

As in the early days of Delta, political alarm spread quickly across the world, with officials trading blame over how the failures of the global vaccination effort were allowing the virus to mutate, even as researchers warned that the true threat of the new variant was not yet clear.

Tracking Omicron and Other Coronavirus Variants

See which countries have reported cases of the Omicron variant.

Bearing a worrying number of mutations that researchers fear could make it spread easily, Omicron was spotted on Saturday in patients in Britain, Germany and Italy, leaving in its wake what scientists estimated to be thousands of cases in southern Africa and tens or hundreds more globally. One nation after another shut its doors to southern Africa even as they spurned public health measures that scientists said were far more urgently needed to take on the new variant.

Australia, Thailand and Sri Lanka were among the latest countries on Saturday to join the United States, Britain and the European Union in banning travelers from South Africa and nearby countries.

Israel announced the world’s strictest ban to date, sealing its borders to all foreigners for 14 days after one case was confirmed in the country.

“The key here is caution and minimal risks until we know more,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennet of Israel said at a news conference just after midnight local time on Sunday.

Health officials in the Netherlands on Saturday announced that 61 passengers on two flights from South Africa had tested positive for the virus, the latest indication of how difficult it might be to stop the variant from crossing borders.

The cascade of travel closures triggered a wave of resentment among Africans who believed that the continent was yet again bearing the brunt of panicked policies from Western countries, which had failed to deliver vaccines and the resources needed to administer them.

Richer countries, having already hoarded vaccines for much of 2021, were now penalizing parts of the world that they had starved of shots in the first place, scientists said.

“Told you so,” said Francois Venter, a researcher at University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, referring to warnings from African researchers that delaying vaccinations there risked the emergence of new variants. “It feels like these rich countries have learned absolutely nothing in terms of support.”

The sense of outrage was most visceral in South Africa, where business leaders predicted a dire economic toll, especially on tourism. In the arrivals halls of Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International airport, Ronald Masiwa, a tour operator, watched with dread as the information board flipped to red, displaying cancellation notices. Three clients had already canceled trips overnight, and he feared that many more would follow.

Some health officials said that the travel bans may buy some time to figure out how to deal with the new variant. But just as border closures a year ago did little to stop the spread of an earlier coronavirus variant from Britain, scientists said, the latest travel shutdowns had likely come too late.

Scientists worried that the restrictions would discourage other nations from reporting variant cases, out of fear of being slapped with travel bans. Border closures have provoked debate during a succession of public health crises, including the Ebola outbreak in 2014, with global health officials warning that such bans can interrupt the flow of medical supplies and do economic damage that makes countries reluctant to report health threats.

The chaotic introduction of the closures in Amsterdam on Friday left some 600 passengers on two flights from South Africa crammed into planes and then unventilated rooms for about 30 hours. Those who avoided hotel quarantines by testing negative scattered to other destinations after receiving results around 3 a.m. on Saturday.

“You close down the boundary with Africa, then you close the boundary with Belgium, then you close the boundary with somewhere else,” said Alessandro Vespignani, a Northeastern University professor who has studied travel restrictions from early 2020 and advised government agencies in recent days on responses to the latest variant. “But every time you close it, it’s a little late.”

It remains unclear whether the Omicron variant will transmit as easily as global health officials fear. The variant may simply have been in the right place during a surge of new infections in South Africa, making it appear more contagious than it really is.

But experts said the border closures would wreak havoc in African countries that were counting on reopening. In South Africa, December is traditionally the high season for tourism, one of the country’s biggest industries, and operators had been banking on a surge in visitors from Britain, which had removed South Africa from its “red list” only last month.

“This is devastating,” said David Frost, chief executive officer of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association. “Many companies have been hanging on by their fingernails, and this is going to wipe them out. It’s going to be dire for conservation, and it’s going to be dire for people in rural areas where tourism is the only economic generator.”

South Africa’s number of daily infections — 2,828 on Friday — was a small fraction of case counts in countries with similarly sized populations, like Germany and Britain, not to mention the United States. For Mr. Frost, the hurried measures were the mark of a blatant double standard.

Just over 10 percent of people in Africa have received one dose of a vaccine, compared with 64 percent in North America and 62 percent in Europe.

For the countries imposing travel bans, scientists said, far more consequential than delaying the arrival of new Omicron cases was the question of what they would do with whatever time they had bought themselves to respond.

At home, scientists said, those countries should ramp up testing and vaccinations and help infected people isolate, especially given the difficulties they were already having containing the Delta variant. Scientists pleaded with countries to match those efforts globally, including with aid to southern Africa for their health systems and vaccination and variant-tracking efforts.

“If all we do is a travel ban, and we don’t increase testing at airports or provide resources for people to isolate if they do test positive so they can justify missing work — all of that would have to be happening to reduce community transmission,” said Joseph Fauver, an assistant professor studying genomic surveillance at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

After decades of skepticism toward border closures among global health officials, Covid-19 forced experts to re-examine their views, said Alexandra Phelan, a professor studying global health policy at Georgetown University. “We gained a bit of nuance, and realized that travel restrictions have a potential role to play in slowing the spread of a new respiratory disease, even though it doesn’t stop it,” she said.

Still, Dr. Vespignani and his colleagues have shown that even the strictest travel restrictions only modestly delay the spread of the virus without other efforts to cut transmission. And whereas countries had some hope in early 2020 of tracing the contacts of patients from abroad, sequencing the virus takes too long to allow health officials to pick out people infected with the Omicron variant for special containment measures.

“They get dispersed in a sea of thousands and thousands of infections,” Dr. Vespignani said of any new cases of the Omicron variant. “It’s a very, very, very tough situation.”

The latest variant has already shown signs of spreading locally beyond southern Africa. A patient in Belgium, for instance, had no connections with southern Africa, having traveled recently to Egypt, officials said.

Several scientists said they suspected that the variant had been spreading undetected in countries with lackluster sequencing efforts before it surfaced in Botswana and South Africa, giving it more time to scatter globally. Nevertheless, European nations did not find the variant until after South Africa alerted them to it, demonstrating the gaps in their own surveillance efforts.

The variant had plenty of opportunities to spread: In November, there were 334 flights scheduled out of southern Africa into Europe, with a capacity of nearly 100,000 seats. And three dozen flights were scheduled from Johannesburg into the United States this month.

Given the uneven global sequencing efforts, Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, said that it was difficult to target individual countries for border closures. She warned that travel bans created a false sense of security, giving cover to elected leaders who wanted to avoid more difficult choices.

“The notion of having a global map of where the variants are and aren’t is just fantasy,” she said. “I don’t think the travel bans really have much of an impact, other than answering the political pressures that inevitably arise when a new variant emerges.”

Shabir Madhi, a virologist at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, cautioned that the Omicron variant could yet fizzle out, as other seemingly worrisome versions of the virus had done. He said it was a reflection of a lack of political and economic power that southern Africa was so quickly cut off by wealthy countries despite the uncertain evidence.

With roughly a third of South Africans vaccinated, officials there blame a number of factors, including vaccine hesitancy caused by rampant online misinformation. Some critics have blamed a bungled government response. For now, South Africa has far more vaccine doses than it can distribute in time, forcing senior health officials to defer some planned deliveries.

Other African countries where shortages have eased are also reporting difficulties getting vaccines into people’s arms. Many lack the necessary freezers and other storage capacity. Last month, Uganda warned that two-thirds of the 9 million vaccines it had received risked expiring by the end of the year.

In the United States, health officials say they are better equipped to track variants than earlier in the pandemic. Scientists can identify Omicron with a standard nasal swab test, giving them a leg up in tracking the spread of the variant.

But the United States is suffering so many daily infections that many samples are being overlooked. And there are pockets of the country where relatively few cases are being sequenced. In the last 90 days, for instance, Massachusetts sequenced a fifth of all coronavirus cases in the state, according to an online sequencing database . Texas and Florida, on the other hand, did so for only four percent of cases.

“I’m definitely more confident in our ability to track and detect the virus,” Dr. Fauver said. “What I’m not confident in is our ability to control transmission.”

Reporting was contributed by Jason Horowitz , Lynsey Chutel , Stephanie Nolen , Sui-Lee Wee , Zolan Kanno-Youngs , Sheryl Gay Stolberg , Niraj Chokshi and Claire Moses .

Benjamin Mueller is a health and science reporter. Previously, he covered the coronavirus pandemic as a correspondent in London and the police in New York. More about Benjamin Mueller

Declan Walsh is the Chief Africa correspondent. He was previously based in Egypt, covering the Middle East, and in Pakistan. He previously worked at the Guardian and is the author of The Nine Lives of Pakistan. More about Declan Walsh

WHO criticizes travel bans on southern African countries over new omicron variant

JOHANNESBURG — The World Health Organization on Sunday urged countries around the world not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant.

WHO's regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions.

“Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” Moeti said in a statement. “If restrictions are implemented, they should not be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and should be scientifically based, according to the International Health Regulations, which is a legally binding instrument of international law recognized by over 190 nations.”

Moeti praised South Africa for following international health regulations and informing WHO as soon as its national laboratory identified the omicron variant.

“The speed and transparency of the South African and Botswana governments in informing the world of the new variant is to be commended," said Moeti. "WHO stands with African countries which had the courage to boldly share life-saving public health information, helping protect the world against the spread of COVID-19.”

Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world Sunday and many governments rushed to close their borders even as scientists cautioned that it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus.

While investigations continue into the omicron variant, WHO recommends that all countries “take a risk-based and scientific approach and put in place measures which can limit its possible spread.”

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, emphasized that there is no data yet that suggests the new variant causes more serious illness than previous COVID-19 variants.

“I do think it’s more contagious, when you look at how rapidly it spread through multiple districts in South Africa,” Collins said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday — among the most drastic of a growing raft of travel curbs being imposed as nations scrambled to slow the variant’s spread. Scientists in several places — from Hong Kong to Europe — have confirmed its presence. The Netherlands reported 13 omicron cases on Sunday, and Australia found two.

The U.S. plans to ban travel from South Africa and seven other southern African countries starting Monday.

“With the omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity," said Moeti. “COVID-19 constantly exploits our divisions. We will only get the better of the virus if we work together for solutions.”

WHO said it scaling up its support for genomic sequencing in Africa so sequencing laboratories have access to adequate human resources and testing reagents to work at full capacity. WHO also said is ready to offer additional help, reinforcing COVID-19 responses including surveillance, treatment, infection prevention and community engagement in southern African countries, it said.

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Places the U.S. Government Warns Not to Travel Right Now

You may want to reconsider traveling to these countries right now.

Do Not Travel to These Countries

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Crime, civil unrest and terrorism are common risk factors for countries that end up on the State Department's "Do Not Travel" advisory list.

In 2024, tourism across the globe is “well on track” to return to pre-pandemic levels, according to projections by UN Tourism.

Global conflicts and natural disasters , ranging from a series of coups across Africa to catastrophic earthquakes in the Middle East affected international travel patterns throughout 2023. Still, international tourist arrivals reached 87% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, according to estimates by UN Tourism .

In January 2024 alone, about 4.6 million U.S. citizens left the country for international destinations, 17% higher than the same month in 2019, according to the International Trade Administration . But some destinations warrant more caution than others.

On Oct. 19, 2023, following the outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza and flaring tensions in the region, the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide caution advisory due to “increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.” Prior to this update, the most recent worldwide caution advisory was issued in 2022 after a U.S. strike killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor as leader of Al Qaeda, causing “a higher potential for anti-American violence.” The worldwide caution advisory remains in effect.

The U.S. State Department also issues individual travel advisory levels for more than 200 countries globally, continually updating them based on a variety of risk indicators such as health, terrorism and civil unrest. Travel advisory levels range from Level 1, which means exercise normal precautions, to Level 4, which means do not travel there.

About 10% of countries – 19 total – have a Level 4: “Do Not Travel” advisory as of Mar. 4. In Level 4 countries, the U.S. government may have “very limited ability” to step in should travelers’ safety or security be at risk, according to the State Department. Crime, civil unrest, kidnapping and terrorism are common risk factors associated with Level 4 countries.

So far in 2024, the State Department made changes to the existing Level 4 advisories for Myanmar, Iran and Gaza, and moved Niger and Lebanon off of the Level 4 list.

Places With a Level 4 Travel Advisory

These are the primary areas the U.S. government says not to travel to right now, in alphabetical order:

Jump to Place: Afghanistan Belarus Burkina Faso Central African Republic Myanmar (formerly Burma) Gaza Haiti Iran Iraq Libya Mali Mexico North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Ukraine Venezuela Yemen

Afghanistan: The Central Asian country is wrestling with “terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping and crime,” according to the State Department. U.S. citizens are specifically at risk for wrongful detention and kidnapping. In 2022, the government reinstituted public floggings and executions, and women’s rights are disappearing under Taliban control. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul halted operations in August 2021. Since the Taliban took control , many forms of international aid have been halted . Meanwhile, in 2023, some of the year’s deadliest earthquakes killed more than 2,400 in Afghanistan while the country continues to face a years-long extreme drought.

Belarus: Belarus, which shares a western border with Russia and a southern border with Ukraine, has been flagged for “Belarusian authorities’ continued facilitation of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus.” The U.S. Embassy in Minsk halted operations in February 2022.

Burkina Faso: Terrorism, crime and kidnapping are plaguing this West African nation. Terrorist attacks may target hotels, restaurants and schools with little to no warning, and the East and Sahel regions of the country are under a state of emergency. In late November 2023, hundreds died in clashes between state security forces and rebels near the country’s border with Mali. In June, more than 2 million people in Burkina Faso were displaced due to “violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.”

Central African Republic: While there have not been specific incidents of U.S. citizens targeted with violence or crime, violent crime and sudden closure of roads and borders is common. The advisory states that “Embassy Bangui’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens, crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping” is a factor in its assessment. Recent data from UNICEF suggests the country has the worst drinking water accessibility of all countries in 2022.

Myanmar (Formerly Burma): Armed conflict and civil unrest are the primary reasons to not travel to this Southeast Asian country, which experienced a military coup in early 2021. Limited health care resources, wrongful detentions and “areas with land mines and unexploded ordnance” are also listed as risk factors. After Ukraine and Israel, Myanmar had the highest conflict-related death toll in 2023.

Gaza : Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization as designated by the State Department, controls much of the Gaza Strip, which shares borders with both Israel and Egypt. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas fighters broke across the border into Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and soldiers in a brazen attack that stunned Israelis. On Oct. 10, Israel hit the Gaza Strip with “the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year conflict” according to Reuters . The conflict has since escalated into war between Israel and Hamas, with regular Israeli airstrikes leading to extensive civilian casualties in Gaza. As of mid-December, nearly 85% of Gaza’s population were displaced from their homes, according to UN estimates . The region continues to face shortages of food , water, electricity and medical supplies , with conditions deemed “far beyond a humanitarian crisis.” The State Department warns of terrorism and armed conflict within Gaza’s borders.

Haiti: In July 2023, the Department of State ordered all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to leave the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince in response to the increased risk of kidnapping and violent crime in the country , as well as armed conflict between gangs and police. The travel advisory states that cases of kidnapping “often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings.” The travel advisory also states that “U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible” given “the current security situation and infrastructure challenges.” A series of gang attacks in late September 2023 caused thousands to flee their homes, and many aid groups have been forced to cut or suspend operations amid escalating violence in recent months.

Iran: Terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest are risk factors for all travelers to Iran, while U.S. citizens are specifically at risk for “arbitrary arrest.” U.S.-Iranian nationals such as students, journalists and business travelers have been arrested on charges of espionage and threatening national security. Executions in Iran rose sharply between 2021 and 2022, bringing the country’s total to nearly 580 people over the year, according to a report by Amnesty International released in May 2023.

Iraq: The State Department cites “terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict [and] civil unrest” as cause for the country’s Level 4 distinction. Iraq’s northern borders, and its border with Syria, are especially dangerous. Since the escalation of conflict in neighboring Israel in October, there has been an increase in attacks against Iraqi military bases, which host U.S. troops and other international forces. In October 2023, non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members were ordered to leave the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

Libya: Following the end of its dictatorship over a decade ago, Libya has been wrought with internal conflict between armed groups in the East and West. Armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, kidnapping and terrorism are all risk factors. U.S. citizens have been targets of kidnapping for ransom, with terrorists targeting hotels and airports frequented by Westerners. The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli halted operations in 2014. In mid-September 2023, floods, which some say were intensified by climate change , killed thousands in eastern Libya. Clashes between armed factions escalated across the country in the latter half of 2023, including in the capital city of Tripoli and in Benghazi.

Mali: After experiencing military coups in 2020 and 2021, crime, terrorism and kidnapping are all prevalent threats in this West African landlocked nation. In July 2022, non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families were ordered to leave the country due to higher risk of terrorist activity. A U.N. report in August 2023 said that military groups in the country, including both Mali security forces and possibly Russian Wagner mercenaries, were spreading terror through the use of violence against women and human rights abuses. Democratic elections were supposed to occur in February 2024, but Mali’s military junta postponed the plans indefinitely. In December, the U.N. officially ended a decade-long peacekeeping presence in the country, which had been among the agency’s deadliest missions, with hundreds of the mission personnel killed since 2013.

Mexico: Each state in Mexico is assessed separately for travel advisory levels. Six of the 32 states in Mexico are designated as Level 4: Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Crime and kidnapping are listed as the primary risk factors throughout the country. Nearly 112,000 people were missing across the country as of October, a number the U.N. has called “alarming.”

North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea): U.S. passports are not valid for travel “to, in, or through” this country, home to one of the world's longest-running dynastic dictatorships. The travel advisory states that the Level 4 distinction is due to “the continuing serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals.” In July 2023, a U.S. soldier fled across the border into North Korea, where he is believed to be in North Korean custody, the first American detained in the North in nearly five years. He was returned to U.S. custody in September 2023.

Russia: The travel advisory for Russia cites its invasion of Ukraine , harassment of U.S. citizens by Russian government officials and arbitrary law enforcement as a few of the reasons for the Level 4 designation. Chechnya and Mount Elbrus are specifically listed as Level 4 regions. Terrorism, civil unrest, health, kidnapping and wrongful detention are all noted as risks.

Russia Invades Ukraine: A Timeline

Somalia: A severe drought resulting from five failed rainy seasons in a row killed 43,000 people in 2022, and caused a famine amid conflict with Islamist insurgents . Violent crime is common throughout Somalia , pirates frequent its coast off the Horn of Africa, and medical facilities, where they exist, have limited capacity. Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health and kidnapping are all risk factors. In January 2024, some passengers aboard a U.N.-contracted helicopter were taken hostage by al-Shabaab militants after the vehicle crashed in central Somalia.

South Sudan: Crime, kidnapping and armed conflict are the primary risk factors for South Sudan, which separated from Sudan in 2011, making it the world’s newest country . Weapons are readily available, and travelers have been victims of sexual assault and armed robbery.

Sudan: The U.S. evacuated its embassy in Khartoum in April 2023, and the country closed its airspace due to the ongoing conflict in the country, only permitting humanitarian aid and evacuation efforts. Fighting has escalated in the region between two warring generals seeking to gain control after a military coup in 2021 ousted the country’s prime minister. Civil unrest is the primary risk factor for Africa’s third largest country by area. Crime, terrorism, kidnapping and armed conflict are also noted. The International Criminal Court began investigating alleged war crimes and violence against African ethnic groups in the country in 2023. Millions have fled their homes due to conflict, and the U.N. has said its efforts to provide aid have been hindered by a lack of support, safety and resources. As recently as December 2023, the United Nations warned of catastrophic famine , with millions of children at-risk for malnutrition .

Syria: The advisory states that “No part of Syria is safe from violence,” with terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict and risk of unjust detention all potential risk factors. U.S. citizens are often a target for kidnappings and detention. The U.S. Embassy in Damascus halted operations in 2012. Fighting in neighboring Israel has escalated since October, and the conflict has spilled over into Syria, where the U.S. has carried out air strikes following drone and rocket attacks against American troops in Syria and Iraq, triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.

Ukraine: Russian setbacks in their invasion of Ukraine buoyed hopes in Ukraine in 2023. However, Ukraine is a Level 4 country due to Russia’s invasion, with crime and civil unrest also noted as risk factors. The country’s forces shot down two Russian fighter jets on Christmas Eve 2023, in a move Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “sets the right mood for the entire year ahead.”

Venezuela: Human rights abuses and lack of health care plague this South American nation, which has been in a political crisis since 2014. In 2019, diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. Threats in the country include crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, wrongful detention and poor health infrastructure.

Yemen: Six of the nine risk factors defined by the State Department – terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, armed conflict and landmines – are all present in Yemen. Despite private companies offering tourist visits to the Yemeni island of Socotra, the U.S. government argues those arranging such visits “are putting tourists in danger.” Civil war and cholera are also both present throughout the country. The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa halted operations in 2015. The country has experienced a relative lull in the civil war fighting, but as peace negotiations have gotten traction, flare ups in the fighting have jeopardized progress. Most recently, the U.S. and U.K. have carried out a series of airstrikes in the country, targeting Iran-backed Houthi sites.

Other Countries to Watch

Since Jan. 1, the State Department has updated travel advisories for 17 different countries as well as for the West Bank and Gaza, adding information about specific regions or risk factors, or simply renewing an existing advisory. Travel advisory levels can change based on several factors in a nation, such as increased civil unrest, policies that affect human rights or higher risks of unlawful detention.

The State Department has given about 25 countries an assessment of Level 3, meaning it recommends people “reconsider travel” to those destinations.

On Oct. 14, one week after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel, Israel and the West Bank were both moved from Level 2 to Level 3, while Gaza remains at Level 4. The region’s travel advisory was updated in November to reflect travel restrictions for certain government employees who have not already left the area, and it was updated again on Jan. 3.

Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in early October, the U.S. State Department raised Lebanon ’s travel advisory level from a Level 3 to a Level 4 level due to “the unpredictable security situation related to rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges” between Israel and Hezbollah or other militant groups. In December, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut returned to normal staffing and presence, and on Jan. 29, the country was moved back to Level 3. Crime, terrorism, armed conflict, civil unrest, kidnapping and unexploded landmines are listed as the country’s primary risk factors. However, the country’s borders with Syria and with Israel, as well as refugee settlements within Lebanon, are specifically noted as Level 4 regions.

China became a Level 3 country in late 2020, with an update in December 2022 citing “the surge in COVID-19 cases, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, and COVID-19-related restrictions” as the reason for the advisory. In June 2023, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) was moved from the Level 3 to the Level 2 list, but travelers are still advised to be cautious in the area due to “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” Meanwhile, Macau remains at Level 3.

Following an attempted coup in August 2023, Niger was elevated to Level 4 in August and the Department of State ordered all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to leave the U.S. Embassy in Niamey. In early January 2024, the overall risk level for the country was lowered back to Level 3. Despite the new classification, the State Department still asks non-emergency government personnel and eligible family members to depart the country.

In mid-December 2023 there was an explosion at Guinea’s main fuel depot which has since affected access to health care and basic goods and services. The country was subsequently designated a Level 3 nation after having previously been Level 2. Concerns about civil unrest, health, crime and fuel shortages impacting local infrastructure were listed as the primary risk factors contributing to the change.

Several Level 3 countries are among the worst countries for human trafficking, as designated by the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report . Level 3 countries on this list include Papua New Guinea, Guinea Bissau, China and Chad. There are also nine Level 4 countries designated as among the worst for human trafficking: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Syria, South Sudan and Venezuela.

Over 70 countries are currently at Level 2, meaning the State Department recommends travelers “exercise increased caution” when traveling to those destinations.

Botswana became the newest Level 2 country on Feb. 26 after having previously been Level 1, with crime noted as the primary risk factor.

France, which saw nationwide protests throughout 2023, has civil unrest and terrorism noted as risk factors for its Level 2 status, and Sweden’s Level 2 status is associated with risks of terrorism.

The Level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas was updated in January to reflect water safety concerns. The advisory warns that “activities involving commercial recreational watercraft, including water tours, are not consistently regulated” and notes that government personnel are “not permitted to use independently operated jet-ski rentals on New Providence and Paradise Islands.” It also warns visitors to be mindful of sharks, weather and water conditions. The advisory also says that crime is a primary risk factor with gang-on-gang violence contributing to high homicide rates in some areas. Visitors are asked to “be vigilant” and to not physically resist robbery attempts.

Bangladesh 's Level 2 travel advisory was updated in October 2023 to add a note about the country’s general election , which took place Jan. 7, 2024. The advisory states “demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.” The U.S. has since claimed the country’s election was not free nor fair.

In November 2023, several Level 2 travel advisories were updated with new cautionary information. The advisory for Ghana was updated to reflect threats against LGBTQI+ travelers specifically, noting “anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and violence have increased in recent years.” Meanwhile, the advisory for South Africa was updated in February to note that routes recommended by GPS may be unsafe with higher risk for crime.

Turkmenistan was moved off of the Level 2 list to become the newest addition to the Level 1 list on Jan. 22, meaning normal precautions are recommended but there are no risk factors causing travelers to practice increased caution.

The State Department asks travelers to pay attention to travel advisory levels and alerts , review country information pages for their destinations and read related country security reports before going abroad.

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African leaders condemn travel restrictions as omicron variant spreads globally

Joe Hernandez

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in August. He called on Western nations on Sunday to scrap travel restrictions placed on southern Africa to stem the spread of the omicron variant. "The prohibition of travel is not informed by science nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant," he said. Tobias Schwarz/Reuters hide caption

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in August. He called on Western nations on Sunday to scrap travel restrictions placed on southern Africa to stem the spread of the omicron variant. "The prohibition of travel is not informed by science nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant," he said.

African leaders are pushing back on travel bans imposed by wealthy or Western nations in an effort to stop the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant — and expressing their anger that the result of South Africa's openness in sharing news of the variant has led to what they see as punitive measures.

The variant was detected last week in Botswana and South Africa, and since then it's been found in countries across the globe from Scotland to Canada. It's still unclear where the latest known strain originated.

Yet the travel restrictions specifically target nations in southern Africa. This prompted blowback this week from African leaders and public health officials, who say the bans will do more harm than good and discriminate against countries in the region.

Shots - Health News

As u.s. races to detect and track omicron, patchwork surveillance makes that tough.

"The prohibition of travel is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant," South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa said in a speech on Sunday.

"The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine their ability to respond to and also to recover from the pandemic," he added.

Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi and chairman of the Southern African Development Community member states, echoed that sentiment in a Facebook post on Sunday, saying travel bans on southern African nations were "uncalled for." "COVID measures must be based on science, not Afrophobia," he said.

U.S., U.K. among those restricting travel from Africa

Several countries have taken steps to limit the flow of travelers from southern Africa.

In the U.S., the Biden administration began restricting travel from eight southern African nations on Monday, including Botswana and South Africa. Non-U.S. citizens are prohibited from entering the U.S. if they have been in any of those countries in the previous two weeks.

In the U.K., 10 countries in southern Africa were added to its "red list," a list of places the government defines as high risk for new and emerging strains of coronavirus. While the U.K. isn't blocking these travelers from entering, it is requiring them to take several coronavirus tests and quarantine for at least 10 days.

And in recent days, Canadian authorities blocked foreign nationals who had recently been in seven southern African countries from crossing its border.

The European Union urged member states to limit travel from southern Africa, and Japan, Australia and Israel are banning all foreign travelers in response to the variant.

The World Health Organization noted in a statement on Sunday that only two of the southern African countries on these lists — Botswana and South Africa — have reported cases of the omicron variant. Yet other countries where the variant has been detected, such as the U.K., Canada and Germany, did not appear to be facing targeted travel bans. (The U.S., so far, has not reported any cases of the variant.)

WHO officials called on countries to show unity in this time of crisis and warned the bans could be divisive. "With the omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity," said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti , WHO regional director for Africa. "COVID-19 constantly exploits our divisions. We will only get the better of the virus if we work together for solutions."

Like the South African and Malawian presidents, WHO called on countries that imposed the bans to take a " a risk-based and scientific approach " when putting measures in place to limit the spread of COVID. That includes using "the tools we already have to prevent transmission and save lives from delta," said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus in his opening remarks at the WHO General Assembly on Tuesday : "enhancing surveillance, testing, sequencing and reporting."

"If we do that, we will also prevent transmission and save lives from omicron," he said.

In announcing the travel restrictions, President Biden said it was his administration's policy to implement "science-based public health measures" to reduce the spread of COVID.

The impact of travel bans on Africa

Moeti also suggested that health authorities in South Africa and Botswana be praised for alerting the world to the existence of this new variant — not punished with travel bans.

The bans may deter countries, especially those in lower-resource parts of the world, from reporting new strains of the coronavirus in the future, says Mia Malan , editor-in-chief of the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, a media outlet based in Johannesburg.

Bans can prompt a "fear of discrimination, stigma and the fear that the economies would be hugely impacted by things like travel bans," she said.

Africa faced "severe" economic consequences as a result of restrictions on mobility and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Bank. Incomes plummeted and jobs dried up in response to economic instability that experts say could last for years .

Coronavirus Updates

As omicron spreads, studies suggest that travel bans alone don't do much good.

Studies have also shown that restricting travel alone may do little to prevent the spread of a new COVID-19 strain without other public health measures, such as early detection and isolating patients.

Travel bans renew the conversation over vaccine inequity

The omicron variant has highlighted the fact that vaccination remains a major hurdle to containing the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

African countries have far lower vaccination rates than the rest of the world, in part because they cannot get enough doses. Rich countries have stockpiled many more vaccine doses than developing nations. And unless vaccines are distributed more equitably across the world, public health experts say the virus will continue to mutate and create new variants.

Why low income countries are so short on COVID vaccines. Hint: It's not boosters

Moderna won't share its vaccine recipe. WHO has hired an African startup to crack it

That's why, Malan argues, Western countries are partly to blame for the new variant.

"Africa doesn't have enough vaccines because Western countries bought it all up and even hoarded those vaccines. So they are part of the reason why this new variant emerged, because there's a continent that didn't have enough access to vaccines."

"Now they want to punish the very people who are the victims of their actions. That's simply not the right thing to do," Malan added.

Ramaphosa, the South African president, called on Western nations to immediately scrap their travel restrictions and suggested they help countries like his vaccinate more people.

"Instead of prohibiting travel, the rich countries of the world need to support the efforts of developing countries — economies, that is — to access and to manufacture enough vaccine doses for their people without delay," he said.

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Thiruvananthapuram, May 19 (PTI) As rains lashed many parts of Kerala, authorities on Sunday urged people, particularly those living in hilly and coastal areas, to exercise vigil.

The Meteorological Department has issued red alerts for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki districts for Sunday and Monday, and sounded orange alerts for four other districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam, for these days.

The Met office predicted thunderstorms with moderate rainfall and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 km/h at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala till 1 pm on Sunday.

The Idukki District Collector has ordered a ban on night travel through the hilly areas of the district from Sunday until the red and orange alerts are withdrawn.

“Strict instructions have been issued to the District Superintendent of Police, Sub Divisional Magistrates, Regional Transport Officers, and Tehsildars to implement the ban effectively,” an official statement said.

Mining activities have been banned in Ernakulam and Kottayam districts in view of the forecast for heavy rain.

The southern district of Thiruvananthapuram experienced heavy rains on Saturday night, leading to waterlogging in the city and its suburbs, affecting normal life.

Visuals aired by news channels showed that houses and shops were flooded in some parts.

Due to the non-completion of the Smart City Road, waterlogging has worsened in many places.

In some areas, canals crisscrossing the capital city and its suburbs overflowed.

The affected people alleged that the lack of pre-monsoon cleaning of canals and drainage systems was the reason for the waterlogging in the capital city and its suburbs. PTI TGB TGB SS

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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Weekly Global Economic Report – 13 May 2024

Back to MFAT Market Intelligence Reports

Weekly Global Report: May 2024

We welcome feedback from New Zealand exporters on this report and invite requests for reporting from New Zealand’s network of Embassies and High Commissions . If you would like to subscribe to this weekly update, go to our subscription page (external link) or email us at [email protected] .

Seeking suggestions for Market Intelligence Report topics

We welcome feedback from New Zealand exporters on this report, and invite requests for reporting. If there’s reporting topics you believe would be beneficial to you or the New Zealand exporting community, go to our open forum survey. (external link)

Trade and Economic Updates

Nz-eu fta entered into force.

• In a win for Kiwi exporters, the New Zealand-EU Free Trade Agreement (NZ-EU FTA) entered into force on May 1st. This deal secures reductions in tariffs for kiwifruit, wine, seafood, and a wide range of other products. It includes commitments on services and investment, which ensure a level playing field for New Zealand businesses in the EU market. T EU is our fourth-largest trade partner, with combined trade in goods and services exceeding $20 billion annually (representing over 10% of our total trade). The NZ-EU FTA is expected to boost market access for Kiwi exporters, contributing to the government's goal of doubling exports within a decade. To grow the awareness of the opportunities this agreement presents, the Government will undertake an information campaign to help Kiwi businesses grow trade with the EU. For more information about the NZ-EU FTA, including how Kiwi businesses can benefit, visit the NZ-EU FTA page on the MFAT website .

Te Taumata holds regional trade hui

• Te Taumata held its regional trade hui in Ngāmotu New Plymouth on 15 April, providing an important opportunity to engage with Taranaki whānui. The theme of the hui was ‘Doubling Export Value in 10 Years’. The programme highlighted opportunities for the Māori economy, with a particular focus on the opportunities presented by the recently implemented free trade agreements with the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU) (including the Māori Trade and Economic Cooperation Chapters in these agreements), and upcoming trade missions. The programme also addressed challenges to export growth including outstanding trade barriers, the need to develop new and emerging sectors such as services (beyond tourism), and moving up the value chain.

US Secretary of State and Secretary of Treasury travel to China

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen separately travelled to China in April, the second time each of them had visited in less than a year. During Secretary Blinken’s visit, he met with President Xi Jinping and his counterpart Wang Yi and discussed key priorities in the bilateral relationship and a range of regional and global issues. Secretary Yellen, during her earlier visit, conducted a series of top-level economic meetings and raised issues such as the impact of China’s industrial overcapacity in sectors (including EVs and solar panels) on US and global markets. The visits reflect sustained efforts from both sides to maintain engagement through high-level meetings

Africa and Middle East

New zealand and united arab emirates commence free trade agreement negotiations.

On 7 May the Minister for Trade announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Speaking in Dubai, Hon Todd McClay said: “The UAE is a key export destination and hub in the Gulf region, and there are significant opportunities to enhance cooperation across a range of areas, including agriculture and sustainable energy. A CEPA with the UAE would also complement our ongoing negotiations towards a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, and I was pleased to advance these discussions during my visit to Saudi Arabia last week and my discussions with Saudi and GCC counterparts.”

For more information, including to make submission, please visit www.mfat.govt.nz/nzuaecepa  or contact [email protected] . 

Republic of Korea accedes to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement

• On 3 May the Republic of Korea (Korea) officially acceded to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), the first non-founding economy to do so. This was marked by a celebratory event on the side-lines of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris attended by Minister for Trade Todd McClay. Alongside ensuring non-discriminatory treatment for their digital products, New Zealand exporters operating in Korea will no longer be required to have local data storage. More information can be found in a joint press release by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Affairs, Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry and Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Consumer prices continue to rise in China

• Data release by the National Bureau of Statistics on Saturday (New Zealand time) showed that consumer prices in China rose 0.3 percent from a year earlier. That compares with an increase of 0.1 percent in March and represents the third straight month of increases. However, the economy is still seeing a continued decline in industrial prices, with the Producer Price Index declining at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in April. Commentators indicate that deflationary pressure remains a concern.

Greece bans bottom trawling

• Greece has become the first country in the European Union to announce a ban on bottom trawling in national marine parks by 2026 and in marine protected areas by 2030. Environmentalists hope this will create a domino effect for other EU countries.  Bottom fishing is still practiced in 90% of European marine protected areas, despite the European Commission’s recommendation to Member States to phase out this practice by 2030. Around 31% of New Zealand’s EEZ is closed to bottom trawling (external link) . It is also prohibited in 21% of the territorial sea. In the 2021/2022 fishing year, 70% of all fish caught commercially in New Zealand were caught using either bottom trawl gear or mid-water trawl gear within 1 metre of the seabed.

Market reports released this week

• Read the previous global economic round-up
• New South Wales Economic Report – May 2024

The following links may provide useful information to businesses:

NZTE (external link) has a website focused on providing COVID-19 information for exporters. They’ve also launched myNZTE (external link) , an interactive digital portal of insights and tools available to all New Zealand exporters.

The Treasury releases a weekly economic update (external link) every Friday. Stats NZ has published a data portal (external link) with near real-time economic indicators.

MBIE publishes a sector reports series (external link) which provides regularly updated reports on all industry sectors that make up the New Zealand economy. These include official economic data and the challenges and opportunities that face New Zealand’s industry sectors.

Business.govt.nz (external link) provides tools and advice from across government to save small businesses’ time and help make the business a success.

MFAT has created a tariff finder (external link) which is designed to help goods exporters and importers maximise benefits from New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreements and compare tariffs in 136 other markets.

The all of government Trade Barriers (external link) website can be used to register any trade barriers experienced or issues exporting to an offshore market. Queries can be sent via the website or through the MFAT Exporter Helpline 0800 824 605. Enquiries will be sent to the government agency best placed to answer.

Tatauranga Aotearoa Stats NZ provides official data on the value of New Zealand’s exports and imports of both goods and services, by commodity type via the New Zealand Trade Dashboard (external link) . This interactive dashboard is updated every quarter and allows for filtering by country and by commodity type.

More reports

View full list of market reports .

If you would like to request a topic for reporting please email [email protected]

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Learn more about exporting

New Zealand Trade & Enterprise’s comprehensive market guides (external link) cover export regulations, business culture, market-entry strategies and more.

This information released in this report aligns with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982. The opinions and analysis expressed in this report are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views or official policy position of the New Zealand Government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand Government take no responsibility for the accuracy of this report.

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KZN showcased at Africa’s Travel Indaba held in Durban

Kzn premier said they hope to use the travel indaba to help kwazulu-natal get the lion’s share of the tourism market..

HUNDREDS of delegates were in Durban this week as part of the three-day trade show, Africa’s Travel Indaba, held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.

Africa’s Travel Indaba is an iconic African leisure trade show owned by South African Tourism, with the specific objective of creating market access for the country’s vast array of African leisure tourism products.

Dube-Ncube said the trade show provides the ideal platform for African tourism exhibitors to showcase their offerings to international and local buyers, destination marketing companies and leisure tourism services partners.

As the tourism industry shows green shoots globally, she said one of the key sub-sectors the province wants to focus on is Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE).

Also read: City appoints new head of investigations unit

MICE make up a big part of global business travel since every industry has regular events of some kind. The main goal is always to bring professionals together, foster connections, promote new ideas and push growth.

“As a province, we will be at the forefront of ensuring that KwaZulu-Natal gets the lion’s share of the tourism market. As we all know, one of the biggest trends in the tourism environment is the blending of leisure tourism and business, known as ‘Bleisure Travel’ [blending of business and leisure travel].

“We would like to thank all of you for your continued support of Africa’s Travel Indaba. Indeed, Africa has limitless possibilities, and we must seize the opportunity to ensure that Africa’s time is now,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier noted that this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba takes place at a time when South Africa is celebrating 30 years since the dawn of democracy, which ushered in a new era and assured our standing in the family of other nations.

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Israel-Gaza latest: Israeli fighter jet hits West Bank in deadly strike; aid pier off Gaza coast 'not enough'

An Israeli fighter jet has struck the West Bank. Palestinian authorities say at least one person has been killed. Meanwhile, the bodies of three hostages have been recovered.

Friday 17 May 2024 22:57, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• Israel says its fighter jet has hit West Bank
• IDF has 'seized bodies of three hostages from Gaza'
• They were murdered while celebrating life', IDF says | Netanyahu 'heartbroken' over deaths
• Alistair Bunkall: Discovery of bodies will reinforce Israeli belief that more hostages are in Rafah
• Israeli protesters attack truck in attempt to block aid reaching Gaza
• Spain bans ships carrying weapons for Israel from docking at its ports
• Scroll down for the latest on the Israel-Gaza war
• Listen to the Daily above and tap here  to follow wherever you get your podcasts

That's all for this evening, but if you're just catching up, here is a recap of the key developments.

• An Israeli fighter jet struck a refugee camp in the West Bank, killing at least one person and injuring eight;
• The bodies of three Israeli hostages were recovered from Gaza;
• An investigation was launched after a 450kg bomb fell from an Israeli fighter jet into an Israeli town;
• Spain banned ships carrying weapons for Israel from docking at its ports;
• Dozens of Israeli protesters in the West Bank attacked a truck in an apparent attempt to prevent aid from reaching Gaza, beating its driver and setting it on fire.

A group of US medical workers trapped at a hospital in Gaza have now left the territory, the White House says.

American doctors providing care in Gaza were unable to leave after Israel closed the Rafah border crossing.

Among them were 10 from the US-based Palestinian American Medical Association, who had intended to leave after a two-week mission at the European Hospital in Khan Younis.

Today, 17 American doctors and healthcare workers, out of a total of 20, left Gaza, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said.

"I can assure you that any of them that wanted to leave are out," Mr Kirby said. 

Three of the doctors chose not to depart Gaza, a source familiar with the situation said.

The Palestinian American Medical Association reported on Wednesday that its team of 19 healthcare professionals, including 10 Americans, had been denied exit from Gaza

Israel seized and closed the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on 7 May.

The number of people injured by an Israeli airstrike in the West Bank has risen to eight, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

They are in a stable condition and receiving treatment at hospitals, it said.

As we reported in our last post, at least one person has been killed by the attack on Jenin refugee camp.

Residents of the camp said a house was targeted.

Unlike Gaza, such a strike is a rarity in the West Bank, which is run by the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas.

The Israeli military says a fighter jet has carried out a strike in Jenin in the West Bank.

One person was killed and two injured, the Palestinian health ministry said.

While Palestinians live in both Gaza and the West Bank, the territories are controlled by distinct groups.

Hamas has ruled over Gaza since seizing control in 2007 following a brief civil war with the Palestinian Authority.

The West Bank, meanwhile, is still run by the Palestinian Authority, headed by president Mahmoud Abbas.

By Mark Stone , US correspondent

A three-year-old Palestinian girl with an ultra-rare genetic condition has been forced backwards in her quest to leave Gaza for life-saving treatment.

Julia Abu Zeiter, whose story is being followed by Sky News, was moved with her family from a tent in the southern city of Rafah and relocated to a supposedly safer zone to the north and further away from the border they had hoped to cross.

Speaking to Sky News, her mother Maha said: "We were going through the travel procedures to leave Gaza. When the time for us to travel through Rafah crossing got close, the Israelis occupied the crossing, and they told us they want to invade Rafah."

She added: "I was between two fires, not knowing where to go. Do I go try to travel to treat my daughter or do I flee to another place?"

Read on here...  

Israel has assured the US they are willing to continue discussions before making any major decisions on plans to assault Rafah, a US official has said.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said national security adviser Jake Sullivan will raise the issue on a visit to Israel to meet Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Sullivan will stress the need to go after Hamas in a targeted way, not with a full-scale assault on the southern city, Mr Kirby said.

He said it was important that the Rafah crossing was opened immediately.

The Israeli military seized control of the crossing between  Gaza and Egypt earlier this month.

Hamas says the US-built aid pier off Gaza's coast is no alternative to opening all land crossings under Palestinian supervision.

It added that they reject any military presence on Palestinian land.

Trucks carrying aid rolled across the pier today for the first time in an operation the US says will scale up to 150 truckloads a day.

But Gaza is already on the brink of famine, according to international aid organisations.

Aid groups also say land crossings are much more effective, and at least 500 trucks a day are required to meet the basic needs of the population.

Israeli restrictions on border crossings and heavy fighting have hindered the delivery of food and other supplies.

An investigation has been launched after a 450kg bomb fell from an Israeli fighter jet into an Israeli town this morning, according to reports.

Images showed the munition landed close to homes in Yated.

The Israeli military said it was intended for Rafah and described the incident as "unusual", reported the Times of Israel.

"Air Force technical teams arrived at the scene and began an in-depth investigation of the incident."

The Rafah strike was carried out moments later, the military said.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed at least five people including Lebanese militants, Hamas fighters and Syrian civilians, security sources told Reuters.

A series of strikes on a coastal town further north than the usual conflict area killed a Hezbollah member as well as two Syrian civilians, the security sources said.

They said a separate Israeli strike on Majdal Anjar, on Lebanon's eastern border with Syria, killed two Hamas fighters.

Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire across Lebanon's southern border for seven months in parallel with the Gaza war, but it has ramped up in recent days.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

The recovery of the bodies of three hostages from Gaza is a "painful reminder" of those who are still in captivity, says a member of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Professor Hagai Levine said over the last day, rumours circulating about which bodies had been returned to Israel were "very painful for the families" of all the captives.

It was important to bring home the bodies of hostages to give their families closure, he said.

"We do not lose hope. We are preparing for the return of the hostages that are alive," he said.

"As long as we promote a solution to release the hostages, it will also help to prevent further bloodshed in Gaza."

Turning to the approach the Israeli government has taken, Mr Levine said the government "is not representing well the desires of the public".

"There is a majority in Israel that believe that we should now promote regional agreements and together with the moderate countries, not the extremists, we should kick out Hamas... and replace them with another kind of government.

"This could really bring peace and prosperity to the Palestinians and to Israelis and to the entire region and we feel that the government is not doing enough."

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