Expert meeting on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) Reporting, Monitoring and Elimination under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

The AfCFTA negotiation process is now at an advanced stage. On 21 March 2018, barely two years from the start of negotiations, 44 (forty four) African Union member States signed the AfCFTA Agreement in Kigali, Rwanda. As part of the Protocol on Trade in Goods, the Annex on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) is critical for the success of the AfCFTA. As compared to mere tariff liberalization, addressing non-tariff measures in the AfCFTA could increase benefits three- to four-fold, according to UNCTAD estimates.

UNCTAD is closely collaborating with the African Union Commission (AUC) and member States to support the implementation of the NTB Annex. This work will build on existing NTB reporting, monitoring and elimination mechanisms to allow private sector operators to report trade barriers for governments to resolve them.

The workshop will facilitate a discussion between experts from Regional Economic Communities (RECs), AUC, UNCTAD and independent experts. It is expected to come out with concrete proposals for a practical method of implementing a continental NTB mechanism. The proposals will be submitted to the AfCFTA Technical Working Group (TWG) on NTB & Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). Following the TWG’s consideration the proposal will be submitted to the higher structures with a recommendation for its adoption and implementation.

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