ECA Hosts Expert Group Meeting to Review Progress on Boosting Intra-African Trade

Addis Ababa ,June 19/2024(ENA)-  The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Union is convening today an Expert Group Meeting in Douala, Cameroon, a critical step towards bolstering Africa’s economic integration.

In its press release sent to ENA, the Economic Commission for Africa said the  meeting aims to evaluate and enhance the implementation of the Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT) Action Plan, ensuring that it aligns with the transformative goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

Trade integration is recognized as an important driver for inclusive growth and economic development across Africa, according to the release.

Despite Africa's substantial potential, the continent’s share in global exports remains low at around 3%, highlighting the need for increased intra-African trade and industrialization. Currently, intra-African exports and imports stand at 17.8% and 14.6% respectively, far below the levels observed in Europe and Asia.

Acknowledging this untapped potential, the AU Assembly, during its 18th Ordinary Session in January 2012, adopted the decision to establish the AfCFTA with the goal of creating a unified African market, it was indicted.

.This initiative aims to foster seamless trade in goods and services, enhance Africa’s global trade position, and drive sustainable socio-economic development.

While the AfCFTA has seen significant strides with 47 out of 54 signatories ratifying the agreement as of April 2024 and trading commencing on January 1, 2021, the BIAT Action Plan's progress has been limited.

The Douala EGM at Krystal Palace Hotel will serve as a veritable platform to review the draft report titled “Framework for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT), Ten-Years After: Progress, Implementation Challenges, and Implications for the AfCFTA.” 

The meeting will gather insights from experts, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and other stakeholders to enrich the report’s content, enhance its analytical soundness, and ensure the robustness of its data and recommendations.

BIAT identified seven pivotal clusters: Trade Policy, Trade Facilitation, Productive Capacity, Trade-Related Infrastructure, Trade Finance, Trade Information, and Factor Market Integration focusing on integrating intra-African trade into national strategies, involving the private sector in policymaking, enhancing food products and services, simplifying trade regulations, reducing transit times, optimizing border posts, and integrating border management. Despite significant progress in implementing the AfCFTA, BIAT remains limited, with little information available on its domestication and implementation at regional and national levels.

The meeting will convene participants from the RECs, the African Union Commission, the AfCFTA Secretariat, the African Development Bank (AfDB), Afreximbank, representatives from academia and the private sector.