AfCFTA, World Customs Organisation collaborate on trade liberalisation

AfCFTA-WCO

AfCFTA-WCO

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) on Tuesday in Brussels, Belgium, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at operationalising tariff schedules and ensuring additional free and efficient movement of goods in Africa.

The MoU was signed by the duo of Mr Wamkele Mene, secretary-general of the AfCFTA Secretariat, and his counterpart at the WCO, Mr Kunio Mikuriya.

A press statement by the AfCFTA Secretariat said the two organisations were united in their shared goal of increasing prosperity in Africa through trade liberalisation. “This MoU represents the next logical step for the two organisations as they work to reduce barriers to trade across Africa by connecting customs systems, populating the AfCFTA Tariff Book and providing capacity building for customs officials and administration,” said the statement.

The AfCFTA Secretariat said the partnership would capacitate the AfCFTA with technological systems that would allow for the standardization of data and connectivity of customs systems; development of an AfCFTA E -Tariff-Book; and enhancement of skills and expertise of customs officials in operationalising the AfCFTA. Others are migration of all AfCFTA state parties to Harmonized System (HS) 2022 and the effective start of trading using the AfCFTA Tariff Book.

As the premier voice of the customs community WCO is the only intergovernmental organisation focused on global customs matters; it is responsible for processing 98% of global trade and known for its expertise in developing global standards, simplifying and harmonising customs procedures, trade security, trade facilitation, customs enforcement and compliance, valuation, origin, and customs capacity building, among others.