Egypt Issues Instructions on Procedures for Activating AFCFTA

The circular stated that a gradual reduction in customs tariffs will be applied to Egypt's imports from South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, and Eswatini "over a period of 10 years according to the principle of reciprocity in equal annual installments, with the reduction rate starting this year being 50%.

The gradual reduction in customs tariffs was also applied to Egypt's imports from Morocco, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mauritius, Tunisia, Algeria, Burundi, Lesotho, Malawi, Gambia, and Uganda over a period of five years, with the reduction rate starting this year being 100%.

The circular went on to say that there are a group of countries that have not entered into force with the Agreement.

Amani Al-Wasal, Head of the Agreements and Foreign Trade Sector at the Ministry of Trade pointed out that South Africa has recently begun activating trade exchange under the umbrella of the AFCFTA Agreement, and joining the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), which was launched in October 2022 within the framework of the agreement.

In this regard, Egypt will apply a customs reduction on its imports from South Africa over a period of 10 years, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity as one of the basic principles of the agreement.

The countries implementing the agreement (members of the Directed Trade Initiative) include Egypt - Ghana - Tanzania, Cameroon - Kenya - Rwanda - Mauritius - Tunisia - Algeria.

The gradual reduction will be applied over a period of time ranging between 5 and 10 years. It should be noted that countries are differentiated according to the United Nations classification (UN), taking into account the principle of reciprocity.