Preparatory Meetings for Commencement of Trading under the AfCFTA

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November 16, 2020 to November 20, 2020

What: Preparatory Meetings for Commencement of Trading
Who: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat
When: 16th – 20th November 2020
• Meeting of the Committee on Trade in Goods jointly with Sub-committee on Trade Facilitations Customs Cooperation and Transit, 16th November, 2020
• Meeting of the Directors- General/ Heads of Customs 17th November
• Meeting of the Senior Trade Officials 18th November 2020; and
• Meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers 20 November 2020

Meeting objectives:
The operationalization of the customs provisions in the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA; the Protocol on Trade in Goods and related annexes particularly: -
• Annex 1 on tariff reduction schedules;
• Annex 2 on Rules of Origin;
• Annex 3 on Customs Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance; Annex 4 on Trade Facilitation;
• Annex 8 on Transit and any other matter related to border clearance.
Background Information
Good progress has been made to start the AfCFTA, so that it delivers the promise of prosperity for the people of Africa.
Operational instruments have been agreed so far are:
• The system for addressing non-tariff barriers,
• Trade Observatory to provide market information to economic operators,
• continental payment system to facilitate cross-border payment, a compensation facility to assist with any short-term revenue losses,
• Digital portal for Tariff Schedules which will show how free trade in goods and Schedules of Specific Commitments which will show how free trade in services will be.
• A dispute settlement mechanism is being operationalized so that any disputes that arise can be speedily, transparently and definitively resolved. Also, Member States have been urged to prepare national strategies for utilizing and benefiting from the AfCFTA.
The Secretariat is operational, serving as the administrative and technical arm of the AfCFTA, with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. Learn more here https://au.int/cfta

For more media inquiries please contact:

Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou | Head of Information Division | Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission | Mobile: +251911361185 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org

Ms. Faith Adhiambo | Communications Officer-Agenda 2063 | African Union Commission | E-mail: OchiengJ@africa-union.org|

Note to editors
The Agreement establishing the AfCFTA was signed in March 2018, in Kigali Rwanda, following conclusion of the main legal texts. 54 Member States of the African Union have signed, and 30 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The main objectives of the AfCFTA are to create a single market for goods and services, facilitate the movement of persons, promote industrial development and sustainable and inclusive socio-economic growth, and resolve the issue of multiple membership, in accordance with agenda 2063. It lays a foundation for the establishment, in future, of a Continental Common Market.

For more media inquiries please contact:

Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou | Head of Information Division | Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission | Mobile: +251911361185 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org

Ms. Faith Adhiambo | Communications Officer-Agenda 2063 | African Union Commission | E-mail: OchiengJ@africa-union.org|

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