A stronger commitment from German development cooperation to the AfCFTA in Tunisia

From 6 to 13 November 2023, a high-level delegation of Tunisian Customs officials and a representative of the Ministry of Trade and Export Development (MCDE) visited Kenya and Tanzania

The Ministry of Commerce and Export Development informs all economic actors, including exporters, importers, distributors, and anyone interested in the African market, that following Tunisia's accession to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the General Directorate of Customs has completed, on April 6th, 2023, all legal procedures, and technical requirements necessary to implement the provisions of the agreement by the Tunisian side.

The AACA project has grown remarkably over the past two years, thanks to the close collaboration with our main partner, the direction of cooperation with African countries and African Union from the Ministry of Trade and Export Development. In addition to our new AACA structure, we have lots of good news to share with you. in this Third edition of our newsletter.

The Ministry of Trade and Export Development and the National Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through its two projects "Promotion of export activities to new markets in Sub-Saharan Africa (PEMA II) and "Support for Trade Agreements with Africa" (AACA) mandated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

The AACA project has grown remarkably over the past two years, thanks to the close collaboration with our main partner, the direction of cooperation with African countries and African Union from the Ministry of Trade and Export Development. In addition to our new AACA structure, we have lots of good news to share with you. in this second edition of our newsletter.

The Ministry of Trade and Export Development organized, on Friday, April 15, 2022, a workshop dedicated to the presentation of the preliminary results of the study relating to the implementation strategy of the AfCFTA at the national level, which was prepared in collaboration with the North Africa Office of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and financed by the European Union, in the presence of representatives from all the concerned stakeholders, including the public and the private sectors and the civil society, as well as representatives of regional and international organizations accredited in Tunisia.

The COMESA Secretariat has published two (02) Tenders announcement on its website under the heading Opportunities - Consultancies. The published tenders are as follows:

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the flagship project of the African Union's Agenda 2063, which aims to achieve inclusive and sustainable development of the African continent over the next 50 years.

Raising awareness of trade agreements in Africa by highlighting the ZLECAf agreement ratified by Tunisia on July 22, 2020 is the main objective of the event. The conference to be held, online, on November 26-27, will discuss the said agreement, focusing on its state of play, its tools, its key partners, ongoing negotiations, as well as the expected opportunities for the benefit of all. economical actors.

In a unanimous voting decision by those deputies present at the session, the Assembly of the Representatives of the People of Tunisia adopted on July 22, 2020, the draft organic law relating to the approval of the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Signed in July 2018 and entered into force in January 2020, Tunisia's accession to the COMESA free trade area has exempted exports and imports of all products from customs duties and other charges and taxes of equivalent effect, subject to the principle of reciprocity.

The second phase of the project, which will start in 2021, will continue efforts and encourage cooperation between companies, public and private export promotion institutions and through public-private dialogue on African trade agreements.

Information on: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

This Monday, February 22, 2021, the technical cooperation implementation agreement for the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAF) between the African Union Commission and Germany was signed by the newly re-elected Commissioner at economic development, trade, industry and mining, HE Ambassador Albert Muchanga, in the presence of the German Ambassador to the African Union, Stephan Auer.