Rules of Origin a key issue for continuing African free trade area talks

African Union Ministers of Trade held their 12th meeting, undertaken virtually, on Tuesday. This was the second such meeting to be chaired by South African Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel, and was focused on concluding essential elements that remain to be agreed in the African Continental Free Trade Area talks. The aim is to allow preferential intra-African trade to start on January 1 next year. No less than 38 AU members states were represented in the meeting, which took place less than a month after the 11th such meeting. That previous meeting, on September 30, which was also chaired by Patel, saw the adoption of a prioritised work programme and a roadmap for the remaining negotiations.