United Nations Economic Commission for Africa - African Trade Policy Centre

Mauritius holds a meeting to review its National AfCFTA Response strategy

Minilik.Demissie — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 14:17:04 +0000

Addis Ababa, 9 December 2020 (ECA) -- The government of Mauritius, with technical assistance from the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and financial support from the European Union (EU), is holding a one-day meeting in Port Louis, Mauritius. The main purpose of the event is to review the Mauritius National Response Strategy, which is being developed to help Mauritius take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

Beyond the review of the strategy, through gathering of the views of all invited stakeholders, the meeting will sensitize private operators in the country about the market opportunities offered by the continental agreement. It will further provide a platform to stimulate public-private dialogue on the key role that Mauritius could play on the continent.

“It is expected that the National Response strategy will recommend concrete actions that Mauritius should undertake to maximize on the opportunities arising under the AfCFTA,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade in a statement.

In addition, the strategy will identify actions to enhance economic diversification in Mauritius and expand its trade in goods and services with other African countries. It will provide recommendations on how to boost investment through an assessment of comparative advantages and investigate value chains development at the regional and continental levels as well as addressing issues pertaining to intellectual property rights, competition policy and e-commerce. The strategy will also aim to mainstream cross-cutting issues such as gender, environmental and climate change mitigation and digital technologies.

The meeting opened by Mr N. Boodhoo, Director-Trade Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade followed by Mr Sizo Mhlanga, Acting Director, ECA Sub-regional office for Southern Africa; Ms Beatrice Chaytor, Senior Trade in Services Expert, African Union Commission; Amb. Vincent Degert, Ambassador of the EU to the Republic of Mauritius and Republic of Seychelles and by Hon. N. Bodha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade.

The Ambassador of the EU to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles, present at the meeting, said that EU is really thrilled about the continuous momentum in getting the African Continental Free Trade Area off the ground, as it is considered to be a game-changer that will further help Africa’s transformation. The EU, as the other unique continental integration success story is here, as a long-term partner to share experiences on economic and regional integration and single market. The EU has been a partner for Africa since the beginning of the process, supporting it politically and financially, and through its trade policy.

Mauritius became the fifth country in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to ratify the agreement in September 2019. The AfCFTA agreement, once operational next month, will be the world’s largest by a number of participating countries.

Issued by:

Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

Webinar on Intra-African Trade in the context of AfCFTA

sroca.editor — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 08:08:45 +0000

Maximizing intra-African trade in the context of AfCFTA: the role of e-Commerce and the private sector

11 December 2020

Online

Active participants’ link to the event: https://live.kudoway.eu/ad/220217265548

Visitor/audience link to the event: https://live.kudoway.eu/br/110217058925

This webinar's overall objective is to provide a platform for private sectors to examine how e-Commerce and private sectors in the ECCAS Member States can play a pivotal role in enhancing the intra-Africa trade in the context of AfCFTA.

The specific objectives are to:
• Share current status of the AfCFTA as well as the implications for the continent digital trade Agenda, and implications for ECCAS member states
• Discuss how the e-Commerce market is growing, in the ECCAS Member countries in terms of market development, competition, growth potential, and the challenges
• Explore the role of the private sector in the development of e-Commerce and in advancing the intra-Africa trade in the context of AfCFTA.

NEWS RELEASES

8 December 2020

Central African countries to review stakes of e-commerce in Free Trade era

DOCUMENTS

Concept Note

Work Programme

Nigeria becomes 34th country to ratify AfCFTA agreement

eskinder.tsegaye — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 23:26:23 +0000

Language English

Featured Image:

Focus Group:

African Trade Policy Centre

Linked Content:

Nigeria becomes 34th country to ratify AfCFTA agreement

eskinder.tsegaye — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 23:19:46 +0000

Addis Ababa 5 December 2020, (ECA) – Nigeria deposited its instrument of ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement on 5 December, becoming the 34^th member state to formally ratify the treaty.

The deposit came an hour before the opening of a summit of African heads of state where they proclaimed the Johannesburg Declaration formally fixing trading to start on 1 January 2021 as earlier scheduled.

The African Union Commission’s Trade and Industry Commissioner, Ambassador Albert Muchanga, received the instrument from a Nigerian delegation at the Commission’s headquarters in Adddis Ababa.

With the Nigerian move, “we can confidently say that Africa is on track to deliver a commercially viable continental market on 1^st January, 2021” he later tweeted.

There had been much interest in Nigeria’s decision regarding its AfCFTA status because of its position as Africa’s largest economy and the continent’s most populous country with more than 200 million people.

Commissioner Muchanga said he expected the remaining members to follow suit in the coming weeks.

Only 20 member states are left to comply. They are Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Libya. The others are Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

The AfCFTA agreement entered into force on 30 May 2019 after the treaty was ratified by 22 countries -- the minimum number required under the treaty -- out of the 54 that agreed to be members of the bloc. Eritrea is the only country which has yet to make any commitment to the continental body.

Trading was earlier scheduled to start on 1 July this year but it was postponed for six months owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AfCFTA provides the opportunity for Africa to create the world's largest free trade area with the potential to unite more than 1.2 billion people in a $2.5 trillion economic bloc and usher in a new era of development. It has the potential to generate a range of benefits through supporting trade creation, structural transformation, productive employment and poverty reduction.

The ECA through its African Trade Policy Centre has been working with the AU to deepen Africa’s trade integration through the effective implementation of the agreement by supporting the AfCFTA ratification process through policy advocacy.

The ECA is also assisting the member-states to develop national strategies for the implementation of the AfCFTA in partnership with the AUC, International Trade Centre (ITC), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and a selection of independent trade experts with the financial support of the European Union (EU).

Issued by:

Communication Section

Economic Commission for Africa

PO Box 3001

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia

Tel. +251 11551 5826

E-mail: eca-info@un.org

Central African countries to review stakes of e-commerce in Free Trade era

sroca.editor — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 18:21:46 +0000

Yaounde/Addis Ababa, 8 December 2020, ECA – The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) are organizing a webinar with the financial support of the European Union to discuss the role e-commerce can play in the era of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The theme of the webinar scheduled for Friday 11 December 2020 is “Maximizing intra-African trade in the context of AfCFTA: the role of e-commerce and the private sector.”

Its goal is to give private sector operators in the sub region an avenue to examine what part e-commerce can play in enhancing trade between countries in the area.

Other objectives are to:

Share current status of the AfCFTA as well as the implications for the continent’s digital trade agenda and implications for ECCAS member states
Discuss how e-commerce is growing in ECCAS member countries in terms of market development, competition, growth potentials, and
Explore the role of the private sector in the development of e-commerce and in advancing intra-African trade in the context of AfCFTA.

It is expected that at the end of the session, private sector operators in Central Africa will be better informed on how the AfCFTA through e-commerce can offer a unique opportunity for each country to produce and sell on a very large scale.

Mr. Antonio Pedro, Director of the ECA sub regional office in Central Africa, will give the opening remarks, while Ms. Aissatou Diallo, the AfCFTA of the International Trade Center (ITC) will moderate. The main speakers include Mr. Malick Mamadou Bal and Mr. Guiseppe D’Aronco, both of the ECA sub regional office.

Others are Ms. Angela Ndambuki, the Regional Director for sub-Sahara Africa of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), and Mr. David Mudilo, an information technology development expert.

Through its African Trade Policy Centre, the ECA together with its sub regional offices, has been working with the AUC and member states to deepen Africa's trade integration and effectively implement the agreement through policy advocacy and national strategy development.

The ECA also works closely with the International Trade Centre (ITC), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and a selection of independent trade experts with the financial support of the European Union (EU) to support the implementation of the AfCFTA across the continent.

-END-

LINKS

Here’s the active participants’ link to the event: https://live.kudoway.eu/ad/220217265548

Here’s the visitor/audience link to the event: https://live.kudoway.eu/br/110217058925

Issued by:

Communication Section

Economic Commission for Africa

PO Box 3001

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia

Tel. +251 11551 5826

E-mail: eca-info@un.org

ECA and Togo train customs officials, licensed agents for AfCFTA era trading

Minilik.Demissie — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 15:09:37 +0000

Addis Ababa, 4 December 2020 (ECA) – The West Africa office of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Togolese government last week organized a workshop in Dapaong to enhance the capacity of its customs officials and licensed agents in readiness for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

It was the second training session following the one held last month for officials in the southern coastal region of the country in the capital city, Lome. The second meeting in Dapaong was for officials in the northern Savannah region.

The training was to equip the officials with the knowledge to grant preferential treatment to a commodity within the framework of the AfCFTA, receive general information on the manual of rules of origin, and master the use of the certificate of origin in the context of the AfCFTA.

Participants were also able to detect fraud related to the issuance of false certificates of origin of the AfCFTA, apply the provisions of Annex 2 on the rules of origin of the AfCFTA, and apply the appropriate rates of the agreement.

The Togolese government requested and obtained technical and financial assistance from the ECA for the development and validation of the national strategy which contains a three-year action matrix covering the period from 2020 to 2022.

The AfCFTA entered into force on 30 May 2019 after the treaty was ratified by 22 countries – the minimum number required by the treaty. Trading was earlier scheduled to start on 1 July this year but was postponed for six months owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AfCFTA aims to create the world's largest free trade area with the potential that brings together more than 1.2 billion people with a GDP of over $2.5 trillion and usher in a new era of development. It has the potential to generate a range of benefits through economy of scale, trade creation, structural transformation, productive employment, and poverty reduction.

Through its African Trade Policy Centre, together with the sub regional offices of the ECA, it has been working with the AUC and member states to deepen Africa's trade integration and effectively implement the agreement through policy advocacy and national strategy development.

Issued by:

Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

African Union approves start of trading under AfCFTA on 1 January next year as earlier agreed

Minilik.Demissie — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 13:50:14 +0000

Language English

Featured Image:

Theme category:

Regional Integration and Trade

Focus Group:

African Trade Policy Centre

Linked Content:

African Union approves start of trading under AfCFTA on 1 January next year as earlier agreed

Minilik.Demissie — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 13:44:21 +0000

Addis Ababa, 5 December 2020 (ECA) – African leaders at a summit today have approved that trading should start on 1 January next year as scheduled on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and requested African institutions to provide technical and financial support for its implementation.

“We call on women, youth, businesses, trade unions, civil society, cross border traders, the academia, the African Diaspora and other stakeholders to join us as governments in this historic endeavour of creating the Africa we want in line with the African Union Agenda 2063,” the leaders said in a declaration at the end of their 13^th extraordinary summit of the member-states held virtually today.

The leaders re-affirmed their resolve to deepen continental integration through the AfCFTA and commended the contribution of the African Ministers of Trade for the preparations toward the launch of trading on 1 January 2021.

Speaking while opening the meeting, the African Union Chairperson and South Africa’s President Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa said the commencement of trading would be one of the “most significant milestones” in the continental integration project and the clearest affirmation yet that Africa is determined to take charge of its own destiny.

Mr. Ramaphosa described the AfCFTA as the great edifice that holds Africa’s collective dreams and aspirations for an integrated and prosperous continent.

“The AfCFTA will boost intra-African trade, it will promote industrialization and competitiveness and contribute to job creation, and it will unleash regional value chains that will facilitate Africa’s meaningful integration into the global economy,” he said.

According to him, the AfCFTA should be used to advance the empowerment of Africa’s women, which is one of the most important objectives of continental body’s Agenda 2063 as improving women’s access to trade opportunities not only facilitates economic freedom for women, but also expands the productive capacity of countries.

He called on the AU to consider a Protocol on Women in Trade to facilitate greater trade opportunities for women, and to focus on removing non-tariff barriers to trade.

President Ramaphosa also expressed gratitude to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and other African Union partners for providing technical support to the continental initiative.

In his own speech, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Wamkele Mene pledged to work with the ECA and the UN development Programme to prepare the AU Protocol on Women in Trade, saying that for AfCFTA to be inclusive and to ensure shared growth across the continent, women , young Africans and SMEs have to be at the heart of its implementation.

Such a protocol will build upon the AfCFTA Framework Agreement that recognizes gender equality as an explicit objective.

Mr. Mene also joined some of the leaders to acknowledge the technical assistance provided member states by the ECA in the development of their National AfCFTA strategies.

The Director of ECA’s Regional Integration and Trade Division, Mr. Stephen Karingi, welcomed the outcomes of the summit saying, “The inclusion of health and education among the priority services sectors for liberalization under the AfCFTA in the light of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic have received a boost from the AfCFTA Champion, President Issoufou of Niger.”

“The decision to have December 2021 as common deadline for phase II and phase III negotiations shows the continent’s commitment to realize and lock in the e-commerce benefits early. We remain committed to working with the African Union and partners in achieving Africa’s integration agenda and in so doing, accelerating the implementation of the SDGs and Agenda 2063 - the Africa we want,” he added.

Issued by:

Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

Cameroon becomes 33rd country to ratify AfCFTA one month to start of trading

eskinder.tsegaye — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 00:22:38 +0000

Addis Ababa, 1 December, 2020, ECA – Cameroon has joined the list of countries to formally ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, one month to the commencement of trading, the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Trade Commissioner Albert Muchanga announced today.

“The Republic of Cameroon became the 33^rd AfCFTA State Party following deposit of its instrument of ratification this 1^st December, 2020,” Ambassador Muchanga said on his Twitter handle.

Cameroon’s decision comes after Lesotho and Tunisia submitted their own instruments on 27 November, leaving only 21 countries yet to ratify the treaty. They are Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Libya. The others are Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

Trading was earlier scheduled to start on 1 July this year but it was postponed for six months owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Issued by:

Communication Section

Economic Commission for Africa

PO Box 3001

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia

Tel. +251 11551 5826

E-mail: eca-info@un.org

ECA, Togolese government train customs officials to get the most out of AfCFTA

eskinder.tsegaye — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 11:43:12 +0000

Language English

Featured Image:

Focus Group:

African Trade Policy Centre

Linked Content:

ECA, Togolese government train customs officials to get the most out of AfCFTA

Sub Regional Office:

West Africa