bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

AfCFTA

Private sector firms join push for AfCFTA agenda
24-Feb-2021 The East African
Private sector lobbies in Africa’s six regional trading blocs have formed the African Business Council, a continental umbrella body to spearhead the business agenda for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
New deadline set for ratification of Tripartite Free Trade Area
24-Feb-2021 COMESA
Ministers from the tripartite group of regional economic communities in eastern and southern Africa have set June 2021 as the deadline to achieve the threshold of 14 ratifications required to enable the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) enter into force.
India, Mauritius sign economic partnership deal
23-Feb-2021 The Telegraph (India)
The trade deal would provide a gateway to the markets of the African continent as Mauritius has several pacts with them
Biden faces South African push to extend trade concessions
22-Feb-2021 Bloomberg
South Africa’s preferential market access to the U.S. is under review, however, the country is apprehensive about striking a new trade deal with the U.S. and would rather maintain existing relations with the world’s largest economy.
AfCFTA states terms for members in other pacts
16-Feb-2021 The East African
African countries negotiating free trade agreements with parties from other parts of the world will be required to grant the same preferences or better terms to African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) member states.
Will China help or hurt the AfCFTA?
7-Feb-2021 The Africa Report
African countries want to trade more with their partners on the continent – through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement that launched operations on 1 January – but will that hurt big trading partners like China?
Beijing expands Indian Ocean FTAs westward with Mauritius
2-Feb-2021 Nikkei Asia
China’s free trade agreement with the small island-nation of Mauritius came into effect in January, increasing the Asian powerhouse’s presence in the Indian Ocean where its regional rival India has long dominated.
AfCFTA and the economic emergence of Africa
1-Feb-2021 Enquête+
Economists deconstruct the myth surrounding the trade agreement
Africa trade pact gets $1 billion to offset revenue losses
26-Jan-2021 Bloomberg
The African Export-Import Bank has mobilized $1 billion for an adjustment facility to offset revenue losses for countries that lower cross-border tariffs as part of an Africa-wide free-trade area.
Mozambique is not in a position to ratify AfCFTA agreement
21-Jan-2021 Club of Mozambique
An economist at the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) argues that Mozambique is not in a position, in the short-to-medium term, to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
African Continental Free Trade Agreement: Red tape delays start of trading under new pact
15-Jan-2021 Daily Maverick
All SACU members need to ratify the AfCFTA before any of its members can start trading under it. ECOWAS States were facing the same problem.
Nigeria: Dangote leveraging expansion under AfCFTA
14-Jan-2021 All Africa
Dangote Industries Limited has stated that its cement expansion plan and fertiliser investments will open new trade routes for the company and Nigeria under the trade deal.
African free trade tariff rules should be completed by July-official
12-Jan-2021 Reuters
Members of Africa’s new free trade area should complete their tariff reduction schedules and finalise essential rules of origin by July.
African free trade bloc opens for business, but challenges remain
4-Jan-2021 Reuters
African countries began officially trading under a new continent-wide free trade area, after months of delays caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.
China-Mauritius free-trade deal creates model for Beijing’s trade with Africa, observers say
4-Jan-2021 South China Morning Post
Deal will ‘vitalise cooperation between our two countries and strengthen China-Africa economic ties’, head of African affairs at Chinese foreign ministry says.
New SA trade agreements now effective
3-Jan-2021 IOL
Friday marked the start of trade for South African firms under two new trade agreements, the trade and industry and competition department (dtic) said.
Taiwanese eye Africa as investment destination amid marginalization
14-Dec-2020 Focus Taiwan
Taiwan’s Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association encouraged Taiwanese companies to take advantage of free trade deals in Africa.
In spite of its many sponsors, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) goes into the wall
12-Dec-2020 SOL
The sharp decline in manufactured goods trade and the growing food deficit over the past 25 years call for the African Union to be more modest in its ambitions to become “the next world manufacturing center”, far from the free trade illusion of the AfCFTA.
African ambassadors expect more cooperation with China under new FTA
10-Dec-2020 CGTN
The AfCFTA requires strong infrastructure linkage across the African continent, an area where China can reach out to help.
‘No African nation yet to meet AfCFTA requirements’
9-Dec-2020 TheGuardian.ng
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) said no nation had met the requirements for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), despite the political will to get the pact ratified in good time.