Nouakchott, 21 October 2023 (ECA) –The ECA Office for North Africa concluded on 20 October in Nouakchott a training workshop on practical conditions for exports within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The workshop was conducted in partnership with the Mauritanian Ministry of Trade, Industry, Handicraft and Tourism, the Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP). Its goal was to raise awareness among the private sector regarding best export practices within the AfCFTA framework, in accordance with the Ministry's guidelines.
"We sincerely thank ECA and its partners for their continuous and unwavering support to Mauritania within the framework of the AfCFTA," said Mohamed Lemine Vayda, Director in charge of Foreign Trade at the Mauritanian Ministry of Trade, Industry, Handicraft and Tourism and Mauritania’s Chief Negotiator for the AfCFTA.
"In 2021, ECA supported us with the development of our national strategy for AfCFTA implementation. This year, we are getting additional support with the training of our economic operators on practical export and import mechanisms within the context of the agreement," added Mr. Vayda, who explained that the training aimed to initiate and educate economic operators on the technical exporting conditions once the regional agreement becomes operational in the country.
Throughout the week, participants were able to learn about the standards, procedures and practices governing trade under preferential conditions within the AfCFTA. This allowed them to become familiar with the criteria, steps and documents required to benefit from continental preferential treatment. The meeting also provided an opportunity to consider the conditions and protections needed for the Mauritanian productive sector to effectively utilize the AfCFTA.
Mauritania has significant potential for trade development. "To seize it, the country must identify and implement support measures that can mitigate potential negative effects and strengthen economic competitiveness to make the most of the opportunities generated by this continental project," added Aziz Jaid, an economist at the ECA Office for North Africa.
The AfCFTA officially came into effect in January 2021 with the ambition of fostering a significant rise in intra-African trade through gradual trade liberalization. The new free trade area is expected to accelerate trade in manufactured products and value adding services, thus providing the continent with an opportunity to accelerate its structural transformation, develop regional value chains and provide small and medium-sized African enterprises and industries (SMEs and SMIs) with access to new markets thus facilitating a shift away from the domination of raw material extraction and exports by multinational corporations.
“By enabling firms to understand and navigate the AfCFTA, Mauritanian decision makers can help them access regional markets and create more and better jobs," said Zuzana Brixiova Schwidrowski, Director of the ECA office for North Africa.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org