Editing International trade (section)

== Illicit trade ==
=== Illegal gold trade ===
A number of people in [[Africa]], including children, were using informal or "[[Artisanal mining|artisanal]]" methods to produce [[gold]]. While millions were making a livelihood through this small-scale mining, governments of [[Ghana]], [[Tanzania]] and [[Zambia]] complained about the increase in illegal production and gold [[smuggling]]. Sometimes the procedure involved criminal operations and even human and environmental cost. Investigative reports based on Africa's export data revealed that gold in large quantities is smuggled out of the country{{clarify|date=December 2024}} through the [[United Arab Emirates]], without any taxes being paid to the producing states. Analysis also reflected discrepancies in the amount exported from Africa and the total gold imported into the UAE.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/gold-africa-smuggling/ |date= April 24, 2019 |first1= David |last1=Lewis |first2=Ryan |last2=Mcneill |first3=Zandi |last3=Shabalala |title=Gold worth billions smuggled out of Africa|access-date=24 April 2019|website=Reuters|archive-date=2 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102225119/https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/gold-africa-smuggling/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2020, a report by Swissaid highlighted that the Dubai-based precious metal refining firms, including Kaloti Jewellery International Group and Trust One Financial Services (T1FS), received most of their gold from poor African states like [[Sudan]]. The gold mines in Sudan were seldom under the militias{{clarify|date=December 2024}} involved in [[war crimes]] and [[human rights abuses]]. The Swissaid report also highlighted that the illicit gold coming into [[Dubai]] from Africa is imported in large quantities by the world's largest refinery in [[Switzerland]], [[Valcambi]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.letemps.ch/economie/lor-douteux-dubai-prise-suisse|title=L’or douteux de Dubaï est prisé en Suisse |trans-title=Dubai's dubious gold is prized in Switzerland |first1=Richard |last1=Etienne |access-date=16 July 2020|website=Le Temps|date=16 July 2020|archive-date=17 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717004043/https://www.letemps.ch/economie/lor-douteux-dubai-prise-suisse|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://swissaid.kinsta.cloud/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SWISSAID-Goldstudie-EN_final-web.pdf |first1=Marc |last1=Ummel |date=July 2020 |title=GOLDEN DETOUR: The hidden face of the gold trade between the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland|access-date=16 July 2020|website=Swissaid|archive-date=18 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718093216/https://swissaid.kinsta.cloud/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SWISSAID-Goldstudie-EN_final-web.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another report in March 2022 revealed the contradiction between the lucrative gold trade of West African countries and the illicit dealings. Like [[Sudan]], [[Democratic Republic of Congo]] (DRC), [[Ghana]] and other states, discrepancies were recorded between the gold production in [[Mali]] and its trade with Dubai, UAE. The third largest gold exporter in Africa, Mali imposed taxes only on the first {{Convert|50|kg|abbr=on}} of gold exports per month, which allowed several small-scale miners to enjoy tax exemptions and smuggle gold worth millions. In 2014, Mali's gold production was 45.8 tonnes, while the UAE's gold imports were 59.9 tonnes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enactafrica.org/enact-observer/mali-west-africas-hub-for-illegal-gold-trade-with-dubai |first1= Abdelkader |last1=Abderrahmane |title=Mali: West Africa's hub for illegal gold trade with Dubai|access-date=11 March 2022|website=Enact Africa|date=11 March 2022|archive-date=2 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102225119/https://enactafrica.org/enact-observer/mali-west-africas-hub-for-illegal-gold-trade-with-dubai|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/mali-to-dubai-artery-for-west-africas-booming-illegal-gold-trade  |first1= Abdelkader |last1=Abderrahmane |title=Mali to Dubai: artery for West Africa's booming illegal gold trade|access-date=3 August 2022|website=ISS Africa|date=3 August 2022|archive-date=2 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102225119/https://issafrica.org/iss-today/mali-to-dubai-artery-for-west-africas-booming-illegal-gold-trade|url-status=live}}</ref>