Tunisia is now ready to implement AfCFTA agreement

Tunisian businesses can now trade under the African Continental FreeTrade Area (AfCFTA) after the Tunisian government finalized the procedures and requirements for the agreement earlier this month, according to a statement from the Trade and Export Development Ministry. Tunisian businesses wanting to trade within AfCTA can now use a certificate of origin document which can be issued by chambers of commerce, the statement said.

Background: Tunisia signed the agreement to join AfCTA in 2018, and by 2020 ratified the agreement and officially became a member of the agreement. By joining, the country could potentially double its exports to Africa by 2035, according to the UN’s Economic Commission for Africa and GIZ.

About AfCTA:AfCTA is a trade agreement initiated in 2018 with an eye to streamline and strengthen intra-Africa trade. The agreement covers trade in goods and services, with a focus on value-added products as well as customs facilitation and also includes a dispute settlement mechanism. To date, 46 of the 54 signatory countries have ratified the trade agreement, including Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. Trading under the agreement began in 2021.