Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia Launch Reviews of Trade Barriers under AfCFTA

Four African states – Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia – began a joint review of national barriers to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at a workshop in Abidjan from July 27‑31. Officials, trade experts and development partners assessed customs procedures, regulatory frameworks and trade‑facilitation measures to pinpoint reforms that would enable businesses, especially micro, small and medium‑sized enterprises, to benefit from AfCFTA preferences.

The reviews aim to address non‑tariff obstacles that continue to slow intra‑African trade despite tariff liberalisation. UNECA highlighted that reducing such barriers could markedly increase trade flows, while the WTO stressed the importance of efficient customs administration and transparent regulations for translating market‑access commitments into higher volumes. The exercise also supports broader efforts to strengthen regional value chains.

An accompanying scholarly analysis notes that legal alignment, specifically the adoption of a monist approach that gives treaties immediate domestic effect, could further accelerate AfCFTA implementation. The study compares dualist systems in Ghana and Nigeria with Kenya’s monist framework, arguing that legal reforms could reduce bureaucratic delays and improve customs and regulatory cooperation across the continent.