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.

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