Egypt manages to reach African consensus on the rules of origin pending in AfCFTA agreement
State information service, 29 October 2025
Egypt manages to reach African consensus on the rules of origin pending in AfCFTA agreement
The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement ( AFCFTA) is a key tool for achieving economic integration among the countries of the continent and boosting intra-trade and joint investment.
– Adoption of eight annexes to the Intellectual Property Protocol in preparation for their submission to the upcoming African Union Summit.
The Egyptian presidency of the AfCFTA has succeeded in reaching a consensus among member states on the pending rules of origin for the clothing, textiles and automotive sectors, through a transitional implementation mechanism, after negotiations that lasted more than four years.
This came during the 17th meeting of the African Trade Ministers Council, hosted by Cairo in September and chaired by Engineer Hassan Al-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and the supplementary virtual meeting of the Ministerial Council held in October, within the framework of Egypt’s chairmanship of the Bureau of the Ministerial Council of Trade Ministers of the Agreement.
The meetings resulted in the adoption of rules of origin for items that were pending in the negotiations, including rules of origin in the ready-made clothing and automotive sectors, with a roadmap for finalising the rules of origin to be applied after a transition period. Eight annexes to the intellectual property protocol were also adopted, in preparation for their submission to the upcoming African Union summit.
Engineer Hassan Al-Khatib confirmed that the meetings also saw the adoption of a number of regulations and frameworks supporting the implementation of the agreement, including regulatory frameworks for service sectors such as finance and telecommunications within the framework of the trade in services protocol, as well as draft terms of reference for working groups on data protection and transfer, payments and digital identities, and emerging and advanced technologies within the digital trade protocol.
The minister added that the internal regulations of the Committee of Heads of Competition Authorities, the regulations governing the formation and operation of the Continental Competition Tribunal, the regulations establishing the Continental Competition Network, and the action plan of the Committee of Contact Points of National Committees responsible for implementing the agreement had also been adopted.
Al-Khatib stressed that the AFCFTA agreement is a key tool for achieving economic integration among the countries of the continent and to boost intra-trade and joint investment rates. He commended the commitment of African countries to continue their efforts to complete the implementation of the agreement, reflecting its importance and pivotal role in supporting economic development efforts across the African continent.SIS
