“Since March 2023, Tunisia has set up a national committee in charge of monitoring the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiations and implementing the necessary conditions for its operationalisation,” said Minister of Trade and Export Development Kalthoum Ben Rejeb on Monday during a meeting with AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene.
She added that this initiative demonstrates “Tunisia’s commitment to accelerate its integration at the African level”.
With regard to the trade-oriented initiative, the Minister stressed that Tunisia is one of the first African countries to benefit from differential advantages at continental level.
She noted that customs services and chambers of commerce have adopted the AfCFTA certificate of origin, adding that 93 export transactions have so far been carried out under this framework.
Ben Rejeb also highlighted initiatives taken by Tunisia to strengthen its continental integration, including the creation of the African Centre for Digital Trade.
She noted that Tunisia is proposing to host the headquarters of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO).
Among the projects requiring financial and technical support from the AfCFTA Secretariat and other African donors, she mentioned the Tunisia-Libya continental trade corridor towards sub-Saharan African countries, which was officially launched in August 2023.
This trade corridor was part of the discussions with the AfCFTA Secretary General as “a project of national and strategic priority”.
The project will start from the free trade and logistics zone between “Ben Guerdane” and the “Ras Jedir” border crossing, the gateway to Africa and the largest land crossing on the continent.
This corridor will link Tunisia and Libya with six landlocked African countries, including Niger, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene highlighted Tunisia’s pioneering role in accelerating regional integration and creating a single African market as soon as possible.
He also praised Tunisia’s adherence to the trade-led initiative launched under the AfCFTA agreement, highlighting the steps and efforts it has taken to strengthen its commercial presence in various African countries and support the region.
He stressed that the Secretariat would support all projects and initiatives presented by the Minister of Trade and Export Development, considering them crucial for the establishment of the AfCFTA and the achievement of the well-being of all African peoples.
