Workshop on Non-Tariff Barriers in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
A workshop on non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was held on July 16-17, 2024, as part of a sensitization workshop on the AfCFTA agreement. The event was funded by the European Union's Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund (EU TAF) and organized by the COMESA Business Council (CBC), the European Union's Technical Assistance Facility (EU-TAF), the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade, and Handicrafts (UTICA), and the Tunisia-Africa Business Council (TABC).
The workshop brought together participants from French-speaking COMESA countries, including Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Tunisia.
During the workshop, Emmanuel Mbarga, a regional advisor at the secretariat, explained that there are two types of barriers in international trade: tariff barriers, which fall under customs law, and non-tariff barriers, which relate to administrative procedures. He noted that governments have put in place regulations to manage both imports and exports.
Mbarga cited examples of NTBs, including the control of goods at checkpoints, where the number of checkpoints can increase from four to twenty, creating an additional sixteen NTBs. He also mentioned the cost of computerized tax payment, which can suddenly increase from $5,000 to $50,000, making the additional $45,000 an NTB.
Another example he gave was the residues of pesticides in agricultural products, where the required level of residues can vary from one country to another, requiring additional measures and creating an NTB. He also mentioned the variable cost of certificates of origin, which can range from $25 to $600, depending on the country, and constitutes an NTB.
It was emphasized that NTBs must be combated and eliminated alongside tariff barriers. Annex 5 of the AfCFTA protocol specifically addresses NTBs and establishes a mechanism for identifying, reporting, and eliminating them.
To reduce NTBs, Mbarga highlighted that each member country of the AfCFTA will establish national committees with a focal point, which will be complemented by a coordination unit at the AfCFTA secretariat, overseeing sub-committees on NTBs. Each member country will send a representative to these meetings, and there will also be a unit within the regional economic community.
Finally, it was noted that an annual review will be conducted to assess progress.
