Business updates

Signed in March 2018, the AfCFTA has come into force on 01 January 2021 among countries having ratified the Agreement and submitted their market access offers.

As at December 2020, 34 countries have ratified the Agreement, namely Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

With regard to trade in goods, upon entry into force of the Agreement, Mauritius would benefit from preferential access only on those products on which the rules of origin have been agreed as per Annex IV.

In principle, the countries with which Mauritius can trade on preferential terms under the AfCFTA as from 1^st January 2021 are as follows:

1. - Member States

    

1. Egypt

2. Sao Tome and Principe

    

1. - Customs Union

• Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC)

  Cameroon, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon

   

• East African Community (EAC)

  Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda

   

• Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

  Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, The  Gambia, Togo, Cabo Verde and Mali

   

• Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

  Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa

AfCFTA Certificate of Origin

A Certificate of Origin shall be issued by the Customs Department of the Mauritius Revenue Authority on application by exporter or producer, provided that the goods meet the origin criteria.

MRA Customs

Custom House,

Mer Rouge, Port Louis

Tel. : + 230 202 0500

E-mail: origin.customs@mra.mu

Note: It is to be noted that trade with COMESA/SADC Member States will continue on the basis of the COMESA Treaty and the SADC Trade Protocol as is the case currently.

More information can be accessed here.