Egypt, as Chair of the AfCFTA Ministerial Council of Trade Ministers, has secured consensus among member states on rules of origin for the textile, apparel, and automotive sectors. The breakthrough, achieved through a transitional implementation mechanism, follows more than four years of negotiations. It was announced after a Cairo meeting in September and an October virtual session.
Egypt has announced an African consensus on rules of origin for the textile, apparel, and automotive sectors after more than four years of challenging negotiations. This achievement came under Egypt's chairmanship of the AfCFTA Ministerial Council of Trade Ministers, with the adoption of a transitional implementation mechanism to facilitate the agreement.
The consensus was revealed following the 17th meeting of the AfCFTA Council of African Ministers of Trade in Cairo in September, chaired by Hassan El-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and confirmed in a subsequent virtual session in October. It included the adoption of rules of origin for previously unresolved products, especially in the ready-made garments and automotive industries, along with a roadmap to finalize the rest after a defined transitional period.
In addition, the ministers adopted eight annexes to the Intellectual Property Protocol, which will be submitted for endorsement at the upcoming African Union Summit. The Council also approved regulatory frameworks to support the AfCFTA's implementation, including key service sectors such as finance and telecommunications under the Protocol on Trade in Services. Decisions encompassed draft terms of reference for working groups on data protection and transfer, digital payments and identities, and emerging technologies under the Digital Trade Protocol.
Furthermore, internal regulations were adopted for the Committee of Heads of Competition Authorities, the statute for establishing the Continental Competition Court, the creation of a Continental Competition Network, and the work plan of the Committee of National Focal Points responsible for coordinating national AfCFTA implementation. El-Khatib stated that 'the African Continental Free Trade Area remains a cornerstone of Africa’s economic integration agenda, designed to enhance intra-African trade and stimulate joint investment across the continent.'