Home » Africa: 14 Countries From East, Central, and Southern Africa to Start Trading Freely Under New Free Trade Bloc, Streamlining Regional Commerce

Africa: 14 Countries From East, Central, and Southern Africa to Start Trading Freely Under New Free Trade Bloc, Streamlining Regional Commerce

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Free Trade Bloc

Starting Thursday, July 25, 14 countries in East, Central, and Southern Africa will begin trading freely under the newly ratified Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) Agreement.

This agreement merges the East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (Sadc), and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) into a unified commerce bloc, streamlining regional trade.

According to theeastafrican.co.ke, this follows the submission of instruments of ratification by 14 out of the 29 partner states making up the Tripartite, thus meeting the threshold required for the TFTA to enter into force.

“Malawi, Lesotho, and Angola are the latest member states to ratify the agreement making it 14 countries. It takes effect on July 25, 2024,” Christopher Onyango, Director of Trade and Customs at the Comesa Secretariat in Lusaka, Zambia, said.

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“This means that member states can start trading. But there are technical things which have to be put in place before they can begin trading freely.”

The other countries that have ratified the agreement include Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Eswatini, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, and Zambia.

Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have ratified the tripartite, while for the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, ratification is pending.

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