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AfCFTA

African states launch the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, creating one of the largest common markets in the world
16-Aug-2019 Mondaq
The AfCFTA entered into force on May 30, 2019 for all States that have ratified the Agreement. Trading under the agreement will begin on July 1, 2020.
Africa wants one trade deal with the US, the US wants many
7-Aug-2019 Bloomberg
The African Union prefers a continent-wide deal with the US while the US wants bilateral deals when AGOA expires.
Nigeria sets up committee to implement African free-trade deal
29-Jul-2019 Bloomberg
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of a committee to implement the country’s participation in the African Free Trade Agreement.
Central Africans express mixed reactions to continental free trade area
15-Jul-2019 VOA
Analysts and businesspeople in the six-member Central African Economic and Monetary Community say that although the African Continental Free Trade Area brings hope for pan African trade, they are not sure CEMAC will be fully implemented anytime soon.
Rwanda ratifies Tripartite Free Trade Area agreement
11-Jul-2019 The New Times
Members of the Lower House approved the agreement establishing a Tripartite Free Trade Area among the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community, and the Southern African Development Community.
Why Nigerian small manufacturers fear new continental trade deal
11-Jul-2019 VOA
Some manufacturers in Nigeria say that wading into the continental market could undermine local players and have negative implications.
Civil society dialogue on Africa’s meeting of 28 June 2019
8-Jul-2019 SOL
The preparation of the AfCFTA represents a waste of time and resources for the African States that will reduce the resources which should be concentrated on economic and political strengthening of the Regional Economic Communities.
Economic ’game changer’? African leaders launch free-trade zone
8-Jul-2019 Al Jazeera
African leaders launched a continental free-trade zone that, if successful, would unite 1.3 billion people and create a $3.4 trillion economic bloc.
Nigeria will sign Africa free trade agreement -presidency
3-Jul-2019 Reuters
Nigeria will sign an Africa free trade agreement at the coming African union summit, according to a statement posted on the Nigeria presidency’s Twitter feed.
Why Africa’s new free-trade area is great news for Americans
2-Jul-2019 FEE
Only one set of trade deals will need to be negotiated with the AfCFTA—as opposed to fifty-five intricately-crafted trade deals with each small African economy.
EU to provide 40 billion euros in grants to help create jobs in Africa
29-Jun-2019 UNECA
The European Union Commission fully supports the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and is proposing a 40 billion Euro package to attract investments that would create at least 10 million jobs in Africa.
We cannot afford to rush into Africa free trade agreement – Buhari
28-Jun-2019 Punch
“Africa needs not only a trade policy, but also a continental manufacturing agenda,” Buhari said. “Our vision for intra-African trade is for the free movement of made-in-Africa goods."
Rules of origin key to African Continental Free Trade Area: UN report
27-Jun-2019 Xinhua
Rules of origin must be simple, transparent, business-friendly and predictable to work, said UNCTAD.
Will Africa’s free-trade area live up to the hype?
21-Jun-2019 Business Day
Africa is moving towards a more integrated, rules-based trade regime, but this is unlikely to transform the continent’s economic prospects
Why Nigeria should sign AfCFTA agreement – AfDB
14-Jun-2019 Daily Trust
Nigeria’s failure to sign the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement may hold the continent back on its economic prosperity drive, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has said.
Africa-wide free-trade deal will help SA’s economy, says Ebrahim Patel
11-Jun-2019 Business Day
In 2018, SA and other African nations signed the CFTA agreement, which aims to create a single continental market for goods and services
Africa on its way to becoming a free trade zone
7-Jun-2019 Daily Maverick
The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement is one of the most ambitious projects of the African Union, and it is now, miraculously, in force. But that’s just the first step. The next phase will be crucial negotiations about the operational framework.
What next after the coming into force of African Free Trade Area
6-Jun-2019 East African Business Week
The African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) will be launched on 7 July 2019 in Niamey, Niger, by the Heads of State and Government at an extraordinary summit of the African Union.
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement: Loss of sovereignty, lack of transparency
3-Jun-2019 AIDC
Rather than making drastic structural changes to the systems of production within Africa, the AfCFTA may intensify the ‘race to the bottom’ between working classes on the continent.
China calls more African countries to join BRI
3-Jun-2019 The Reporter
China is planning to capitalize on AfCFTA to connect African and Chinese markets to promote the free movement of goods, persons, capital and technologies.