Trade facilitation includes simplifying and harmonising cross-border trade procedures, relating to collecting, presenting, communication, and processing data for the movement of goods across borders. Trade facilitation will play a critical role in boosting intra-African trade by making cross-border trade seamless, faster, cheaper and more inclusive, transparent and predictable. Enhanced trade facilitation can increase intra-African trade than removing tariffs alone.

Trade facilitation is a key component of the AfCFTA, and State Parties have committed to cooperate on customs matters and implement trade facilitation measures to expand intra-African trade. The AfCFTA trade facilitation agenda is outlined in several annexes of the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods, including Annex 4 (on Trade Facilitation), Annex 3 (on Customs Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance), and Annex 8 (on Transit. Overall, these annexes contain measures for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, as well as for the effective and efficient cooperation between customs authorities and/or other border agencies.

The key principles of trade facilitation include transparency, simplification, harmonisation, and standardisation of customs law, procedures, and requirements.

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