The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is at the heart of several coordinated projects designed to fundamentally reshape Africa’s economy, creating a more highly integrated, more competitive, and more industrialized continent, better able to provide jobs and prosperity as its population doubles. Combined with shifts in global supply chains, these developments will create significant new trade and investment opportunities for U.S. and African firms. This guide is intended to help U.S. companies:

1. Get a basic understanding of what the AfCFTA is and how it will change the architecture of trade and investment in Africa;

2. Better understand how the AfCFTA will impact the current rules and regulations of doing business in a specific (potential) business location;

3. Get a basic understanding of the new tools that the AfCFTA is introducing, including an electronic tariff book, dispute settlement system, and a payments and settlement system; and

4. Incorporate this information into refining the search for business opportunities and partners.

The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and tralac are partnering with the U.S. Government’s Prosper Africa initiative to increase two-way trade and investment between African countries and the United States. This work is supported by the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

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