The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) between Southern and Eastern African countries is expected to be operational by 2020. This was announced this week by Francis Mangeni (pictured), Trade and Customs Head at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Speaking on the sidelines of the sixth annual COMESA Research Forum, the manager indicated that negotiations for the effective establishment of the area were well advanced. Tariff reductions should gradually be applied with a long-term objective of zero percent of customs duties for all goods traded in the zone.
“We expect 11 more countries to ratify the agreement before the end of the year so that the TFTA can be operational,” Mr Mangeni said.
As a reminder, the tripartite free trade area aims to bring together the free trade areas of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Comprising 27 countries including Egypt, Libya and the DRC, it aims to facilitate the operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area, designed to bring together all African countries in a single market.
“In the first year of operation, countries must fully liberalize trade in 66 percent of all goods and reach 100 percent in five years,” said Director Mangeni.
Moutiou Adjibi Nourou
• Inflation within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) fell to a two-year low of 0....
• Qatar Airways and Kenya Airways establish strategic agreement, introducing a third daily flight be...
• Interbank volumes rose 18.7% in May, while rates declined across the market• The BCEAO cut its mai...
• EY is preparing to leave Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa by 2026• The exit could unlock $500 m...
As cybersecurity asserts itself as a pillar of digital sovereignty in West Africa, technology-free z...
Nigeria’s government launched a partnership to integrate digital literacy into rural primary and secondary schools. The initiative aims to tackle...
• Rwanda cut multidimensional child poverty nearly in half among 5–14-year-olds—from 25.3% to 11.9% between 2016 and 2024.• Free basic education and...
South32 plans to revise its 2026 production forecast for the Mozal aluminium smelter due to unresolved energy supply negotiations. The current...
The world’s renewable energy capacity grew by 582 GW in 2024 but still falls short of the 2030 tripling target. Africa’s renewable capacity...
Malawi’s Mount Mulanje and Cameroon’s Diy-Gid-Biy added to UNESCO World Heritage List Africa still holds 25% of endangered sites, despite recent...
Kolmanskop offers a haunting blend of lost wealth, colonial history, and the unstoppable force of nature. Located just a few kilometers inland from...