Business updates

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) entered into force on Tuesday 1 April 2025.

The agreement significantly improves bilateral market access by establishing a free trade area and promoting economic cooperation in a number of strategic sectors. The CEPA covers a wide range of areas including trade in goods and services, investment facilitation, digital trade, intellectual property, and customs cooperation, among others.

Under the CEPA, both Mauritius and the UAE will implement tariff reductions either immediately or gradually and Mauritius will apply tariff rate quotas for certain goods.

A limited number of tariff lines have been excluded from tariff reduction commitments.

To qualify for preferential market access, products must meet at least one of the following rules of origin:

1. Be wholly obtained or produced using originating materials; or

2. Be sufficiently worked or processed in accordance with either:

       a) the Product-Specific Rules (PSRs); or

       b) the Qualifying Value Content (QVC) threshold.

On Trade in Services, the parties have included market access and national treatment commitments for a wide range of service sectors including professional services, telecommunications, ICT, education, financial services, tourism, and travel-related services.

The Agreement and the tariff liberalisation schedules are accessible on the links below:

CEPA

Schedule of Mauritius

Schedule of UAE