Ethiopia has established a committee to oversee its participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The National AfCFTA Implementation Committee will coordinate the country's implementation of and compliance with the trade agreement.
This follows Ethiopia's submission of its initial tariff offers for goods traded under AfCFTA. The secretariat responsible for AfCFTA has verified these offers. According to a tweet by a representative of Ethiopia's mission to the African Union, Nebiyu Tedla, tariff proposals from various states will soon be considered for adoption by AU members.
The offer has been duly verified by the AfCFTA Secretariat, according to Nebiyu. "Recently Ethiopia submitted its initial tariff offer in trade in goods, an offer verified by the Secretariat & will be adopted by the upcoming AU meeting in Feb 2023," he tweeted.Â
AfCFTA aims to gradually eliminate tariffs on 97% of goods traded within Africa over 13 years. So far 47 countries, including Ethiopia, have submitted their initial tariff offers to lower barriers on certain products.
Negotiations under AfCFTA on trade in goods, services and dispute settlement have concluded. Talks regarding investment, competition and intellectual property rights have also been finalized.
With the exception of one member state, all AU countries have signed the AfCFTA agreement establishing the free trade area.
