A Tripartite Committee of Sectoral Ministers meeting, in Kampala, Uganda, set to start on Friday, will provide an update to the continent’s trade Ministers on the progress achieved in the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) negotiations.
The TFTA marks an important step in promoting regional integration in Africa and is a building block for the Continental Free Trade Area. The meeting is expected to consider the remaining annexes, marking the conclusion of the legal framework for trade in goods.
This will facilitate signature of the agreement by all member States. Negotiations on tariffs, rules of origin and a second phase will continue as part of the agenda.
Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies will represent South Africa among the Ministers from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community.
"Considerable progress has been achieved on tariff negotiations between the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) and the EAC and Egypt,” Davies noted, adding that Sacu and the EAC were expected to conclude tariff negotiations soon.