African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Legal Texts and Policy Documents

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a blueprint for attaining inclusive and sustainable development across the continent over 50 years. It aims to boost intra-African trade by providing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreement among the State Parties covering trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property rights, competition policy, digital trade, and women and youth in trade. The AfCFTA will bring together the 55 AU member states with a market of more than 1.4 billion people.

The main objective of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA is to create a Free Trade Area (with associated tariff liberalisation schedules and rules of origin) for trade in goods and services, facilitated by movement of persons, in order to deepen the economic integration of the African continent. More specifically, State Parties shall: progressively eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers, progressively liberalise trade in services, cooperate on investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy, cooperate on all trade-related areas, cooperate on customs matters and the implementation of trade facilitation measures, establish a mechanism for the settlement of disputes concerning their rights and obligations, and establish and maintain an institutional framework for the implementation and administration of the AfCFTA. Furthermore, the Agreement aims to promote and facilitate intra-African digital trade, and support and enhance the effective participation of Women and Youth in Trade in intra-Africa trade.

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On this page

• What is the AfCFTA?

• Background

• Negotiations

• Legal texts

• Progress reports

• Ratification status

• Rules of origin

• Tariff offers

• GTI: Trading under the AfCFTA

• Implementation strategies

• AfCFTA Implementation Review Mechanism

• Factsheets

• tralac Blogs

• tralac Publications

• Other useful resources

Visit the AfCFTA negotiations timeline page for more on the legal texts, AU Decisions and Declarations, and policy documents.

Last updated: July 2026

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What is the AfCFTA?

The AfCFTA establishes a Free Trade Area (FTA) among the 55 member states of the African Union. When fully implemented, it is expected that the AfCFTA will ease the flow of goods, services, and investment across a market of more than 1.4 billion people. Eight regional economic communities (RECs) with established FTAs have been recognised by the AU as ‘building blocks’ of the AfCFTA. The RECs are encouraged to maintain or improve upon levels of trade liberalisation and elimination of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) amongst themselves as these will continue to exist once the AfCFTA is implemented. The 8 RECs are:

• Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)

• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

• Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)

• East African Community (EAC)

• Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)

• Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

• Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

• Southern African Development Community (SADC)

According to the pdf Economic Report on Africa 2025(15.16 MB) , titled ‘Advancing the Implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area: Proposing Transformative Strategic Action’ (UNECA, 2025), a successful AfCFTA could significantly boost intra-Africa trade, reduce inequality and poverty, encourage sustainable development, and diversify economies, shifting African exports away from primary commodities to higher-value industrial products. By numbers, the AfCFTA has the potential to increase intra-African trade by 45 percent in 2045, with significant gains in manufacturing, agro-processing, services, and energy. The AfCFTA is also expected to raise Africa’s GDP by 1.2 percent.

pdf AfCFTA: a tralac guide, 13th Edition, May 2025(1.79 MB)

pdf AfCFTA Frequently Asked Questions by tralac, updated May 2025(1.27 MB)

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Background and overview

The 18th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2012, adopted a decision to establish a Continental Free Trade Area by an indicative date of 2017. The Summit also endorsed the  pdf Action Plan on Boosting Intra-Africa Trade (BIAT)(928 KB) which identifies seven priority action clusters: trade policy, trade facilitation, productive capacity, trade related infrastructure, trade finance, trade information, and factor market integration.

African leaders held an  pdf Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)(209 KB) from 17-21 March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda, during which the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA was presented for signature. On that occasion, 44 out of the 55 AU member states signed the consolidated text of the AfCFTA Agreement. To date, only Eritrea has yet to sign the consolidated text.

The Agreement entered into force on 30 May 2019 for the 24 countries that had deposited their instruments of ratification with the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, the designated repository for this purpose. As at July 2026, 49 countries have both signed and deposited their instruments of AfCFTA ratification with the AUC Chairperson. ‘State Parties’ refers to the AU Member States that have ratified the AfCFTA Agreement or have acceded to it, and for whom the Agreement is in force.

The operational phase of the AfCFTA was launched during the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU in Niamey, Niger on 7 July 2019. The AfCFTA will be governed by five operational instruments: Rules of Origin, tariff concessions, online mechanism for monitoring, reporting and elimination of non-tariff barriers, the Pan-African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS), and the African Trade Observatory. The AfCFTA Secretariat will facilitate the efficient conduct of business of the AfCFTA and is charged with various responsibilities related to the implementation of the AfCFTA, including the annual budget and work programme. The AfCFTA Secretariat was officially handed over in Accra, Ghana on 17 August 2020.

The AfCFTA Agreement provides for an institutional framework for the implementation, administration, facilitation, monitoring and evaluation of the AfCFTA. It consists of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU, Council of Ministers (CoM), Committee of Senior Trade Officials, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and the Dispute Settlement Mechanism. Various technical committees have also been established to assist with the implementation of the Agreement and will comprise of designated representatives from State Parties.

The pdf 13th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly on the AfCFTA of the AU(759 KB)  took place virtually on 5 December 2020, approving 1 January 2021 as the official starting date for trade under the AfCFTA Agreement to begin. However, trade under the Agreement can only truly begin once negotiations on outstanding issues on Trade in Goods (tariff concessions) and rules of origin (including customs documentation) are concluded. As at July 2026, negotiations on rules of origin have been concluded and approved by the AU Assembly, while submission of tariff offers remains ongoing.

The AU Heads of State and Government Committee on Implementation of the AfCFTA was inaugurated on the sidelines of the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly which took place in Accra from 14-15 February 2026. This high-level platform will provide strategic political leadership aimed at accelerating the transition from negotiations to full implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. The Committee will be chaired by. H.E. President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya. As implementation advances, the Committee will monitor progress and ensure political support is sustained, with a view to translating the AfCFTA legal framework into measurable trade and investment outcomes that benefit African citizens and businesses.

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Negotiation modalities

Within the broader framework of the Abuja Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community of 2012, the objective of launching negotiations for the AfCFTA was to achieve a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreement among the Member States of the African Union.

pdf Draft Objectives and Guiding Principles for Negotiating the CFTA, 2013(1.34 MB)

pdf AfCFTA Modalities Tariff Negotiations, 2017(364 KB)

The initial guiding principles for negotiating the AfCFTA included, among other things:

• The AfCFTA should build on the progress that has been made in the trade liberalisation programs of the Regional Economic Communities and the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area.

• The AfCFTA Agreement should promote the movement of persons, goods, services and capital by ensuring that Parties to the AfCFTA maintain transparent procedures and consult relevant stakeholders in developing regulations that may affect trade.

• The AfCFTA will aim at creating a liberal, facilitative, and competitive investment environment in Africa. Negotiations for investment under the AfCFTA will cover the four pillars of promotion, protection, facilitation and liberalisation.

• With a view to broadening the industrial base in Africa, the AfCFTA will aim to facilitate the development and strengthening of regional value chains.

• Negotiations for the AfCFTA shall be Member State-driven and decisions shall be taken by consensus.

• Negotiations shall be conducted in a transparent manner including sharing information on tariffs and measures/regulations affecting trade and investment in their countries.

An update on the negotiation modalities is contained in the Report on the African Continental Free Trade Area by H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, President of the Republic of Niger and Leader on AfCFTA, which was adopted by the AU Assembly in February 2019.

pdf Report on the AfCFTA by Mahamadou Issoufou(692 KB)

pdf Annex 1: Road Map for Finalisation of Outstanding Work on Phase 1 and Conclusion of Phase II(431 KB)

pdf Annex 2: Draft Guidelines For Services Negotiations Under The AfCFTA Protocol On Trade In Services(447 KB)

The following ministerial directives have been adopted by the AU Assembly:

pdf Ministerial Directive 1/2021: AfCFTA Application of Provisional Schedules of Tariff Concessions(206 KB)

pdf Ministerial Directive On the Implementation of State Parties Schedules of Specific Commitments (services), 2022(191 KB)

pdf Ministerial Regulations 1/2023: Treatment of Products from the SEZs of State Parties to the AfCFTA Agreement(3.14 MB)

pdf AfCFTA Trading Companies: Concept Note, February 2023(366 KB)

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Legal texts

The Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA was signed on 16 May 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda with its 3 Protocols – on Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, and Rules and Procedures on the Settlement of Disputes – collectively constituting Phase I of the negotiations. Phase II negotiations on the Protocols on Investment, Competition Policy, and Intellectual Property Rights, as outlined in the AfCFTA Agreement, were adopted by the AU Assembly in February 2023. The addition of Protocols on Digital trade and Women and Youth in trade (Phase III), which were adopted by the AU Assembly in February 2024, complete the AfCFTA legal compact.

pdf Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA: Consolidated signed text (legally scrubbed)(4.67 MB)

pdf Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA: Status list, 22 May 2026(12 KB)

pdf Compiled Annexes to the AfCFTA Agreement (legally scrubbed)(985 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Investment(352 KB) *

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Competition Policy(244 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights(266 KB) **

pdf Annex on Utility Models(371 KB)

pdf Annex on Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions and Genetic Resources(445 KB)

pdf Annex on Plant Varieties Protection(538 KB)

pdf Annex on Patents(495 KB)

pdf Annex on Marks(413 KB)

pdf Annex on Industrial Designs(346 KB)

pdf Annex on Geographical Indications(391 KB)

pdf Annex on Copyright and Related Rights(678 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade(298 KB)  and  pdf Compiled Annexes(577 KB) ***

pdf Annex on Rules of Origin(76 KB)

pdf Annex on Online safety and security(133 KB)

pdf Annex on Cross-border data transfers(126 KB)

pdf Annex on Criteria for determining the legitimate and legal public interest reasons for disclosure of source code(76 KB)

pdf Annex on Cross-border digital payments(113 KB)

pdf Annex on Digital Identities(141 KB)

pdf Annex on Emerging and advanced technologies(139 KB)

pdf Annex on Financial Technology(142 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade(201 KB)

* Progress has been made on negotiations on the Annex on Rules and Procedures governing Dispute Prevention, Management and Resolution of disputes to the Protocol on Investment but are still to be concluded. These are: (i) the Working Procedures of the Panel, (ii) Expert Review Groups, and (iii) the Code of Conduct for Arbitrators and Panelists.

** The 8 Annexes to the Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights were adopted by the AU Assembly in February 2026.

*** The 8 Annexes to the Protocol on Digital Trade were adopted by the AU Assembly in February 2025.

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Progress reports

pdf Progress Report of the African Continental Free Trade Area, July 2025(343 KB)

pdf Progress Report on the Implementation of the AFCFTA to the 7th AU Mid Year Coordination Meeting, July 2025(382 KB)

pdf Report of the 15th Meeting of the AFCFTA Council of Ministers responsible for Trade, February 2025(461 KB)

pdf Progress Report on the AfCFTA by H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou Former President of The Republic Of Niger and Leader on AfCFTA, February 2025(163 KB)

pdf Report of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers, February 2024(790 KB)

pdf Progress Report on the Implementation of the AfCFTA by H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, Former President of The Republic of Niger and AU Chairperson on AfCFTA, February 2024(136 KB)

pdf Report of the Secretary General of the AfCFTA on the AU Theme of The Year 2023, “Accelerating the Implementation of the AfCFTA” - February 2023 to February 2024(553 KB)

pdf Report of the Secretary General of the AfCFTA, February 2022(545 KB)

pdf Report of H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, President of The Republic Of Niger and Leader of the AfCFTA, February 2020(597 KB)

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Ratification status

According to Article 23 of the AfCFTA Agreement, entry into force occurs 30 days after the 22nd instrument of ratification is deposited with the AUC Chairperson, the designated depositary for this purpose. The Agreement entered into force on 30 May 2019 for the 24 countries that had deposited their instruments of ratification before this date.

As at July 2026, 49 of the 54 signatories have deposited their instruments of AfCFTA ratification with the AUC Chairperson. Somalia, which has approved ratification of the Agreement, is yet to deposit its instrument of ratification. Benin, Libya, South Sudan, and Sudan are yet to approve ratification. Only one signatory to the Agreement is outstanding: Eritrea.

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Rules of Origin

The basic requirements for implementing an FTA are rules of origin (Protocol on Trade in Goods Annex 2, Article 9) and a tariff phase-down schedule. Rules of origin are the legal provisions used to determine the economic nationality of a product in the context of international trade. Only goods that meet the AfCFTA rules of origin criteria will qualify for preferences under the AfCFTA Agreement.

Goods may qualify as either ‘wholly obtained’ (those that are exclusively produced in a State Party, without incorporating materials from any other State Party) or have undergone ‘substantial transformation’ (through value-added content, use of non-originating materials, change of tariff classification, or specific production or processing operation). The RoO are defined in Appendix IV of Annex 2 to the AfCFTA Agreement and are product-specific (based on HS heading or sub-heading).

In February 2026, RoO outstanding on the Automotive, and Clothing and Textiles sectors were adopted by the AU Assembly. This means that 100% of RoO are now agreed.

pdf AfCFTA Agreement: Updated Annex 2 on Rules of Origin(177 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Agreement (Protocol on Trade in Goods): Appendix IV to Annex 2: Rules of Origin(486 KB)

pdf Certificate of Origin (Appendix I)(486 KB)

pdf Form for an AfCTFA certificate of origin(200 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Origin Declaration form (Appendix II)(154 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Supplier’s Declaration Form (Appendix III)(339 KB)

pdf Rules of Origin (approved by Council of Ministers, December 2023)(547 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Rules of Origin Manual, Vol. 1, July 2022 (AfCFTA Secretariat)(12.32 MB)

An AfCFTA Certificate of Origin certifies that a certain product being exported is manufactured, produced, processed or obtained from the exporting State Party, according to RoO criteria, and therefore verifies that the exported goods qualify for reduced tariffs under the AfCFTA. As of March 2026, more than 12,000 certificates of origin have been issued and notified to the Secretariat.

pdf Basics of AfCFTA RoO, April 2024(305 KB)

pdf Update on the Status of the RoO provisions, April 2024(413 KB)

pdf Interpreting the rules: Key sector outcomes, July 2021(671 KB)

pdf Introduction to AfCFTA RoO: Key provisions, sectoral approach and outstanding issues, May 2021(947 KB)

Other resources

pdf The AfCFTA Tariff Offers: Current State and First Insights, 2024(969 KB)  - European Commission

pdf A Quick Guide: AfCFTA Rules of Origin(18.05 MB)  - WCO

pdf Practical Guide for the Implementation of the AfCFTA Rules of Origin, 2023(9.91 MB)  - WCO

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Tariff offers

Trade in goods can take place under the tabled tariff offers which must comply with the agreed modalities for tariff negotiations.

Under the Protocol on Trade in Goods, the AU Assembly in February 2019 agreed on the progressive liberalisation of 97% of total tariff lines over a 10-year period (13-year period for Least Developed Countries), as outlined under the adopted modalities (Category A), where 7% are categorised as ‘sensitive products’ with a longer transition period (Category B). The remaining 3% of tariffs may be excluded from liberalisation for reasons relating to food security, national security, fiscal revenue, livelihood, and industrialisation (Category C).

To date, 50 tariff offers on trade in goods have been submitted by individual State Parties and collectively as part of Customs Unions (CEMAC, EAC, ECOWAS and SACU), in order to ensure compliance with the negotiating modalities. 48 offers have been verified by the AfCFTA Secretariat. The Provisional Schedules of Tariff Concessions (PSTCs) are available in the e-Tariff Book.

spreadsheet EAC - Category A(1.56 MB)

pdf Provisional Schedule for Tariff Concessions, 2022(7.51 MB)

pdf EAC offer to AfCFTA on Trade in Services, 2023(559 KB)

spreadsheet ECOWAS - Categories A, B and C(7.16 MB)

spreadsheet CEMAC - Categories A, B and C(617 KB)

spreadsheet SACU - Category A(375 KB)

pdf South Africa: Customs duty (tariff book): AfCFTA Schedule - 15 May 2026(2.72 MB)

pdf South Africa: Customs, Excise and Sales Duties and Surcharge: General notes - 27 March 2026(4.03 MB)

spreadsheet Egypt - Category A(580 KB)

spreadsheet Mauritius - Category A(861 KB)

spreadsheet São Tomé and Príncipe - Category A(1 MB)

Trade in services

50 State Parties have submitted initial offers in the 5 priority sectors: Financial, Communications, Transport, Tourism, and Business services. Of these, 25 State Parties have completed their national procedures required for adoption to take effect and gazetted their adopted Schedules of Specific Commitments in the five priority sectors. The AfCFTA Secretariat is engaged in verification of the offers to ensure that they comply with the agreed modalities. Once approved by the Assembly, these Schedules of Specific Commitments shall be appended as Annex 1 of the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Services.

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Trading under the AfCFTA

The Council of Ministers responsible for trade adopted the  pdf Ministerial Directive on the Application of Provisional Schedules of Tariffs Concessions(191 KB) in October 2021 which provided a legal basis for the AfCFTA State Parties that had submitted their tariff schedules, in accordance with the agreed tariff modalities, to trade preferentially amongst themselves.

In this regard, the AfCFTA Secretariat launched the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) in Accra on 7 October 2022, marking the commencement of trade under the Agreement for seven (7) participating countries: Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda and Tanzania, with the later inclusion of Tunisia. The GTI was a pilot initiative to test the operational, institutional, legal and trade policy environment under the AfCFTA in order to allow commercially meaningful trading under the AfCFTA, and to send a positive message to African economic operators about the AfCFTA.

The conclusion of the GTI was confirmed at the 16th Council of Ministers Meeting in April 2025, allowing for trade under AfCFTA rules for those countries successfully trading under the GTI to commence. The GTI met its objectives, and affirmed the effective implementation of the application of AfCFTA legal instruments for trade in goods. At its conclusion, 39 State Parties were participating under the GTI.

Country factsheets

tralac has prepared several country factsheets on ‘Trading under the AfCFTA’ with specific practical information regarding implementation of, and trading under, the AfCFTA for the State Party concerned. The following factsheets are available:

pdf A Guide for Zambia, 2026(1.58 MB)

pdf A Guide for Egypt, 2026(1023 KB)

pdf A Guide for South Africa, 2026(1.97 MB)

pdf A Guide for Cameroon, 2026(1003 KB)

pdf A Guide for Kenya, 2026(1.05 MB)

pdf A Guide for Rwanda, 2026(1.65 MB)

pdf A Guide for Nigeria, 2025(820 KB)

pdf A Guide for Mauritania, 2024(1.63 MB)

pdf A Guide for Algeria, 2024(1.64 MB)

pdf A Guide for Tanzania, 2024(1017 KB)

pdf A Guide for Botswana, 2024(935 KB)

tralac Publications

pdf Ministerial Directive 1/2021 clarifies and expands the legal basis of the AfCFTA(478 KB)

pdf What have we learned from the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative?(1.02 MB)

pdf The Guided Trade Initiative: Lessons from Cameroon’s Experience(184 KB)

Exporting under the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative: Lessons and Challenges from the Sisal fibre exporting countries in Tanzania

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Implementation strategies

pdf Seychelles National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy 2024(3.58 MB)

pdf Ghana National AfCFTA Policy Framework and Action Plan 2024(5.36 MB)

pdf Eswatini AfCFTA National Implementation Strategy 2024-2028(1.13 MB)

pdf Namibia National Implementation Strategy 2022-2027(1.04 MB)

pdf Kenya’s AfCFTA Implementation Strategy 2022-2027(4.87 MB)

pdf Malawi AfCFTA National Strategy 2021-2026(1.52 MB)

pdf Zambia National strategy for implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement 2021(3.96 MB)

pdf National Strategy for the Implementation of the AfCFTA of ​​Cameroon 2020-2035 (French)(2.01 MB)

pdf AfCFTA Implementation Strategies: Synthesis Report - UNECA, 2024(7.39 MB)

pdf AfCFTA National Implementation Committees: Scoping options and support mechanisms - ODI Report, 2023(607 KB)

pdf Guidelines for developing African Continental Free Trade Area national strategies - UNECA, 2021(760 KB)

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AfCFTA Implementation Review Mechanism (AFIRM)

Recognising the challenges of implementation and the need for robust oversight, the AfCFTA Implementation Review Mechanism (AFIRM) was established in June 2024. This mechanism was developed in collaboration with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and establishes structures, processes, and procedures for tracking, assessing, and sharing the progress and outcomes of AfCFTA implementation.

The objectives of this mechanism are to: (a) Assess State Parties’ compliance with their AfCFTA commitments; (b) Increase the transparency of the implementation of AfCFTA provisions; (c) Promote improved adherence by State Parties to rules, disciplines, and commitments under the AfCFTA Agreement; (d) Identify gaps in implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement and facilitate appropriate, solutions to implementation challenges; and (e) Encourage peer learning and experience sharing by State Parties.

The second Meeting of the ad hoc Committee on the AfCFTA Implementation Review Mechanism (AFIRM) took place from 8 to 11 December 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda. Delegates aimed to finalise the Implementation Review Matrices for Digital Trade and Women and Youth in Trade, and review updates to those on Trade in Goods and Trade in Services.

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Resources

tralac has been monitoring the AfCFTA negotiations with keen interest. Several factsheets, blogs, and publications have been published to encourage debate and inform government officials, policymakers, and interested stakeholders on key issues involved in the negotiation and implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.

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Factsheets

pdf Intra-Africa Trade: Pockets of Resilience Amidst Global Headwinds(5.64 MB)

pdf Barriers to Trade for Women in South Africa: An AfCFTA Perspective(2.89 MB)

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade: Infographic(988 KB)

pdf Trade in Services in the AfCFTA(530 KB)

pdf Trade Facilitation Agenda in the AfCFTA(452 KB)

pdf Gender Provisions in the AfCFTA Legal Instruments(172 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Investment(3.14 MB)

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Competition Policy(357 KB)

pdf AfCFTA Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights(739 KB)

View all factsheets and infographics

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Blogs

The tralac Blog is a forum for the views of Trade Law Centre researchers and Associates, as well as guest contributors, on pressing regional integration and trade policy issues affecting African countries. A selection of relevant blogs is available below.

Seven non-tariff trade barriers in Africa and practical solutions to overcome them - 3 Mar 2026

From Queues to Clicks: How SADC and AfCFTA digital borders can drive efficiency and inclusivity in cross-border trade - 8 Dec 2025

Will AfCFTA Liberalisation Cushion African Countries Against the End of AGOA? - 03 Oct 2025

South Africa plans to ratify the Protocol on Women and the Youth in Trade: What will this mean? - 28 Feb 2025

Intra-REC Services Trade Integration: Lessons from the EU, USMCA and ASEAN for the AfCFTA - 27 Feb 2025

Thinking about the Transformation of the AfCFTA into a Customs Union - 30 Jan 2025

How African Digital Economy Initiatives are Shaping the Continent’s Digital Future 19 Nov 2024

Review of the AfCFTA Agreement: What is to be done and why? - 30 Sep 2024

View all Blogs

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Publications

tralac has prepared several Trade Briefs, Working Papers and Trade Reports on legal and practical issues related to the negotiation and signing of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA. Recent Publications are listed below.

Intra-Africa Trade Update – An Analysis by Region and GTAP Industrial Sectors - 12 May 2026

Guidelines for Cameroon on the ratification and implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade - 7 May 2026

Fostering Inclusive Trade Under the AfCFTA: Rwanda Country Report - 23 April 2026

A gendered Trade And Intersectionality Analysis For Inclusive AfCFTA Implementation: Kenya Country Study - 23 April 2026

Must the Phase II AfCFTA Protocols be ratified to be implemented? - 16 April 2026

Rwandan Guidelines for the ratification and implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade - 25 Mar 2026

The AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade as a Template for Action (updated) - 19 Jan 2026

Kenya: Guidelines for implementing the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade - 30 Nov 2025

Guidelines for the implementation in South Africa of the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade - 01 Oct 2025

Breaking Barriers: How the AfCFTA can Unlock Financial Services Trade Potential in Africa - 20 Jul 2025

Intra-African Services Trade Integration: Data-Driven Insights for the AfCFTA - 28 Feb 2025

View all Publications

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Other useful resources

pdf Economic Report on Africa 2025 - UNECA, 2025(15.16 MB)

pdf Assessing Regional Integration in Africa ARIA XI - UNECA and AUC, 2025(9.29 MB)

pdf Guide for Country Impact Assessments on Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA) and the AfCFTA - AUDA/NEPAD, 2024(1.81 MB)

pdf Trade Unions and Trade: A Guide to the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods - LRS, 2022(4.59 MB)

pdf Making the most of the AfCFTA - World Bank, 2022(8.36 MB)

pdf The African Continental Free Trade Area: Economic and Distributional Effects - World Bank(5.37 MB)