Organization:African Continental Free Trade Agreement
African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) | |
---|---|
Working languages | English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish |
Official languages of contracting states | English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish |
Type | Trade agreement |
Membership | 44 states
|
Establishment | |
• Agreement signed | 21 March 2018 |
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is a trade agreement between 44 African Union member states[1][2][3], with the goal of creating a single market followed by free movement and a single currency union.[4][5] The AfCFTA was signed in Kigali, Rwanda on 21 March 2018. Signing the Agreement does not yet establish the African Continental Free Trade Area. It will function as an umbrella to which protocols and annexes will be added. Once all documents are concluded and ratified by 22 states, the free trade area will formally exist.[6]
Negotiations will continue in 2018 with Phase II, including Competition Policy, Investment and Intellectual Property Rights. A draft shall be submitted for the January 2020 AU Assembly.[7]
Kenya and Ghana were the first countries to deposit the ratification instruments on 10th May 2018 after ratification through their parliaments.[8]
Partner states
Country | Signed By | afCFTA Consolidated Text | Kigali Declaration | Free Movement Protocol |
---|---|---|---|---|
Algeria | Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia | Yes | Yes | No |
Angola | President João Lourenço | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Central African Republic | President Faustin Archange Touadéra | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Chad | President Idriss Déby | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Comoros | President Azali Assoumani | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Djibouti | President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh | Yes | Yes | No |
Equatorial Guinea | Prime Minister Francisco Pascual Obama Asue | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Gabon | President Ali Bongo Ondimba | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Gambia | President Adama Barrow | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Ghana | President Nana Akufo-Addo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Ivory Coast | Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan | Yes | No | No |
Kenya | President Uhuru Kenyatta | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Lesotho | Prime Minister Tom Thabane | No | Yes | Yes |
Mauritania | President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Morocco | Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani | Yes | No | No |
Mozambique | President Filipe Nyusi | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Niger | President Mahamadou Issoufou | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Republic of the Congo | President Denis Sassou Nguesso | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rwanda | President Paul Kagame | Yes | Yes | Yes |
President Mohamed Abdelaziz | Yes | Yes | No | |
Senegal | President Macky Sall | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Seychelles | Vice President Vincent Meriton | Yes | Yes | No |
South Africa | President Cyril Ramaphosa | No | Yes | No |
Sudan | President Omar al-Bashir | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Eswatini | Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini | Yes | Yes | No |
Tanzania | Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa | No | Yes | No |
Zimbabwe | President Emmerson Mnangagwa | Yes | Yes | No |
References
- ↑ "African states agree massive trade bloc" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2018-03-21. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43489255.
- ↑ "Africa Set to Agree $3 Trillion Trade Bloc, Without Key Economy" (in en). Bloomberg.com. 2018-03-21. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-21/africa-set-to-agree-3-trillion-trade-bloc-without-key-economy.
- ↑ AfricaNews. "Forty-four countries sign historic African Union free trade agreement | Africanews" (in en). Africanews. http://www.africanews.com/2018/03/21/forty-four-countries-sign-historic-africa-union-free-trade-agreement/.
- ↑ "African Union - African Continental Free Trade Area". https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/33984-doc-qa_cfta_en_rev15march.pdf.
- ↑ "African Continental Free Trade Area: What you need to know". https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/african-continental-free-trade-area-afcfta-180317191954318.htm.[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ Erasmus, Gerhard (22 March 2018). "How will the AfCFTA be established and its Legal Instruments be implemented?" (in en-gb). tralac Discussion (trade law center). https://www.tralac.org/discussions/article/12869-how-will-the-afcfta-be-established-and-its-legal-instruments-be-implemented.html.
- ↑ "Decision on the draft agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)". African Union. 21 March 2018. https://au.int/sites/default/files/decisions/34055-ext_assembly_dec_1x_e26_march.pdf.
- ↑ "Kenya and Ghana to ratify instruments of African Continental Free Trade Area | African Union" (in en). https://au.int/en/newsevents/20180510/kenya-and-ghana-ratify-instruments-african-continental-free-trade-area.