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COMESA

The Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) was established by a treaty signed on 5 November 1993 in Kampala, Uganda. The agreement was ratified a year later in Lilongwe, Malawi on 8 December 1994. The COMESA treaty builds on an earlier preferential trade agreement and is aimed at creating a common market in Eastern and Southern Africa.

As a trade bloc, COMESA has 19 member countries: Angola, Burundi, Comoros, D.R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In October 2008, the member states of COMESA, the East African Community (EAC, with five members) and the Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC, with 14 members) agreed to merge as one giant 26-member tripartite free trade area (TFTA). (There is some overlap in membership among the current blocs.) This will take some time, as the three have different levels of economic integration.

As of late 2016, the implementation of the TFTA still faced unresolved issues, including tariff offers, rules of origin, trade remedies and dispute settlement.

last update: March 2017
photo: AmarinAfrica/CC BY-SA 4.0


Zimbabwe delays summit on African free trade deal
Zimbabwe has postponed a summit of Africa’s largest trading block COMESA, which had been scheduled to launch a regional customs union in December, the trade minister said Thursday.
State to harmonise new import rules with Comesa policy
Government officials are reviewing the new sugar import licensing rules drafted by Agriculture ministry to ensure conformity with Comesa regulations.
COMESA trade centre to open
Access to the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) will ease after opening of a trade centre in Kampala. Comesatradehub, an international export promotion company, will enable companies market and sell their products internationally.
Comesa ministers root for common policy
Comesa trade ministers are rooting for a crash programme to harmonise intra-regional policies before the December 2008 deadline of signing a joint Customs Union (CU).
Millers hassled as State ups sugar imports quota
Sugar sector players have finally agreed on a raft of radical proposals aimed at boosting the competitiveness of the ailing industry ahead of full liberalisation in 2012.
Govt turns to Comesa as tax threat looms in EU
Africa’s largest trade bloc may hold the future for Kenya’s growing exports sector that is facing an uncertain future in traditional markets such as Europe, latest trade data indicates.
Kenya: Govt should be cautious in free trade negotiations
To many sugarcane-dependent families in western Kenya, January 2008 will come with adverse consequences to livelihoods and life itself as Kenya joins more efficient sugar producers in the free market regimes of COMESA and EPA.
Free trade for Comesa members in offing
President Mwanawasa alongside other Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) heads of State endorsed Zambia’s commitment to the launch of the COMESA Customs Union (CU) by December 8 next year during the recently-held COMESA summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kibaki to visit Libya
As the latest entrant into the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Libya is a potential trade partner not only for Kenya but the COMESA regional economic bloc which Kenyan President Kibaki currently chairs
Business wants Comesa members penalised for blocking regional trade
The Business Forum has recommended the introduction of penalties to deter Comesa member states from blocking regional trade through non-tariff barriers.