The Protocols to the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) establish various technical committees to assist with the implementation of the Agreement. When fully and effectively implemented, the Agreement is expected to enhance the prospects of boosting growth, reduce poverty and broaden economic inclusion among the African countries as their tendency to trade with one another increases. Of the fifty-four (54) Member States which have signed the Agreement, thirty-seven (37) had deposited their instruments of ratification as of June 2021, becoming State Parties to the AfCFTA.

This trade brief presents information on Trade Facilitation under the AfCFTA’s Protocol on Trade in Goods. It also focuses on the institutional arrangements (sub-committees) for its implementation. It concludes by briefly examining the contextual and institutional relationship between Trade Facilitation at the continental level under the AfCFTA and the multilateral level under the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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