The COMESA Business Council convened a regional training workshop on the African Continental Free Trade Area, under the theme “Translating the ACFTA Agreement for Businesses,” on 30th March 2021. The workshop provided a platform for participants to be trained on the Protocol in Trade in Goods, and how it is applicable to the movement of goods in the region, including the benefits and opportunities of AfCFTA for businesses.
Specifically, the training covered the following topics:
(a) Protocol in trade in goods - program for elimination of tariffs on goods and application of rules of origin at continental level;
(b) How to develop and promote regional and continental value chain in Africa and enhance productive capacities of industries in Africa;
(c) Regulatory requirements for market access in the member party under Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) as provided in Annex 6 and efforts to fulfil its commitments.
CBC invited United Nation Commission for Africa (UNECA) and African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) to facilitate the training of participants at the workshop focusing on the above mentioned areas.
The workshop brought together participants from CBC's membership, Export Promotion Councils, Investment Promotion Agencies and Regional/international cooperating partners specialised in the ACFTA Agenda.
