The rules of origin – the criteria needed to determine the nationality of a product – along with tariff concessions will be the make or break factors of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which entered into force in May. This is according to Professor Gerhard Erasmus of tralac who said with the protocol on trade in goods and trade in services still outstanding, celebrations of the AfCFTA were premature. “We are celebrating an agreement that has not been completed,” he said, referring to the launch of the operational phase of the AfCFTA on July 7 in Niamey in Niger. “The most difficult tasks still lie ahead such as the determination of the tariff schedules which will require all the countries to come together and agree on how they will lower their tariffs in each and every category in exchange for what is being offered. One must not forget that this is a free trade agreement,” said Erasmus, indicating that some tough negotiations would still have to take place before any of this agreement would take operational effect on the ground.
