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AfCFTA Implementation
AfCFTA Ratification Status
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has marked significant milestones on its journey towards promoting trade and economic integration across Africa. The Agreement came into effect on May 30, 2019, for the 24 countries that had ratified it at the time. As of June 2023, a remarkable 87.03% of the signatories to the AfCFTA Agreement have deposited their instruments of ratification.
The operational phase of the AfCFTA was officially launched during the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union on the AfCFTA held in Niamey, Niger on July 7, 2019. Although the Agreement became effective in 2019, trading under the AfCFTA began on January 1, 2021. This monumental milestone opened new opportunities for intra-African trade and economic cooperation.
With an increasing number of countries ratifying the Agreement, the AfCFTA is poised to shape the future of trade on the continent, unlocking immense potential and creating a thriving business environment for all. The interactive dashboard provides up-to-date information on the countries that have signed and ratified the AfCFTA Agreement, along with the respective dates of ratification, helping track the progress and engagement of individual countries.
AfCFTA Tariff Offers
Member States have committed to progressively eliminating import duties or charges with equivalent effects on goods originating from other Member States. For non-sensitive goods, 90% of tariff lines will be phased out completely over a period of 10 years and 5 years for LDCs and non-LDCs respectively. For sensitive goods, which comprise 7% of tariff lines, LDCs and non-LDCs can retain tariffs for a period of 5 years, with the phasing out of tariffs occurring as from the 6th year. Finally, the remaining 3% of tariff lines are excluded from liberalisation, although this will be subject to review every five years.