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COMESA

Common Market for East and Southern Africa


EAC, Comesa, Sadc merger into seamless market begins Thursday
At least 14 countries will trade freely within East, Central, and Southern Africa following the ratification of a Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement.
EAC-Comesa-SADC tripartite trade deal in place by April, Ruto says
The EAC-Comesa-SADC tripartite agreement will be in place by the end of April 2023, President William Ruto has said.
EAC-Comesa-SADC tripartite trade deal in place by April, Ruto says
The EAC-Comesa-SADC tripartite agreement will be in place by the end of April 2023, President William Ruto has said.
Kenya eyes more regional trade after pact with two blocs kicks off in March
Kenya could soon start exporting its goods outside the East African Community (EAC) market with the implementation of a tripartite agreement that is expected to be implemented in March this year.
EAC-COMESA-SADC tripartite not ratified 7 years on
The EAC-COMESA-SADC Tripartite FTA agreement has a total of 29 member countries representing 53% of the AU membership and more than 60% of the Africa Continent GDP ($1.88 Trillion) with a population of over 800 million people.
The AfCFTA Investment Protocol: preparations for the negotiations and expectations
The preparations for the negotiations of the Investment Protocol under the AfCFTA agreement (The Agreement) are already underway though still in the early stages.
SADC countries unhappy with major new framework for relations with the EU
Southern African countries have rattled the European Union by indicating they might reopen negotiations on a major new, long-range framework for relations between Europe and developing countries that has already been accepted by all sides.
Kenya is gateway to African market: cabinet secretary
Korean companies will archive market access through regional integration in Africa and East African region if Kenya is made base, according to Betty Maina, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for industrialization, trade and enterprise development.
Zim, Malawi revise bilateral trade agreement
Zimbabwe and Malawi are engaged in talks to revise their Bilateral Trade Agreement to ensure its provisions speak to a modern-day investor and assist in addressing pressing development needs of the two countries.
Burundi has officially ratified the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area
In a document that was made public this Tuesday, July 6, 2021, it was confirmed that Burundi officially ratified the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area on June 17, 2021.
Tunisia ready to participate in the COMESA free trade regime
Tunisia is ready to fully participate in the COMESA Free Trade Area regime (FTA) one year after giving notification of participation in the trade regime in March, 2020.
MPs want CS Maina summoned over ’secret’ sugar importation deal
MPs drawn from the sugar belt region now want Parliament to summon Trade CS Betty Maina over what they term a ’secret’ sugar importation deal with Uganda. They said the importation will kill the local industry.
How can Mauritius take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)?
AfCFTA provides a platform for Mauritius to contribute significantly to the new African impetus by making available to investors and businessmen an ecosystem that not only makes it easier for them to do business with Africa, but also enhances and safeguards their investments.
Regional Economic Communities and the AfCFTA investment protocol
The legal regimes of the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) recognised by the AfCFTA Agreement as building blocks of the African Continental Free Trade Area will not disappear when the AfCFTA is implemented.
SADC urges Member States to sign and ratify AfCFTA and TFTA
The Council of Ministers of the Southern African Development Community has urged Member States that have not yet signed and ratified the AfCFTA and the TFTA to do so to allow for the implementation of the agreements.
Private sector firms join push for AfCFTA agenda
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
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.
Zambia ratifies tripartite free trade area agreement
Zambia has become the latest country to ratify the Tripartite Free Trade Area, bringing the number of countries that have ratified the agreement and deposited the instruments to nine. The agreement, being pursued by COMESA, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), needs a total of 14 countries to enter into force.
Taiwanese eye Africa as investment destination amid marginalization
Taiwan’s Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association encouraged Taiwanese companies to take advantage of free trade deals in Africa.
COMESA Business Council Makes 21 Recommendations On Seed Trade
The COMESA Business Council recently convened a webinar on “Unlocking Food Security Through Improved Seed Trade in COMESA” aimed at discussing issues of access to quality and affordable seed and challenges in trade facilitation in the movement of seed across borders amidst COVID-19.