Algeria ratifies the agreement establishing the AfCFTA

Algeria has ratified the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (Zlecaf), according to a presidential decree published in the Official Journal (JO) n 3 6 .

"Is ratified and will be published in the Official Journal of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the agreement establishing the African continental free trade area, signed in Kigali on March 21, 2018", it is stated in this presidential decree n 21-133, signed on April 5 by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

According to the agreement establishing it, the AfCFTA aims to create a single market for goods and services facilitated by the movement of people in order to deepen the economic integration of the African continent and in accordance with the pan-African vision of an "Africa integrated, prosperous and peaceful "as set out in Agenda 2063.

In addition, through this agreement, it is a question of creating a liberalized market for goods and services through successive rounds of negotiations, of contributing to the movement of capital and natural persons and of facilitating investments by relying on initiatives and developments in States Parties.

Another objective mentioned is that of laying the foundations for the creation of a continental customs union at a later stage, promoting and achieving inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development, gender equality and the structural transformation of States Parties and strengthening the competitiveness of the economies of States Parties at continental and global levels.

It is also about "promoting industrial development through the diversification and development of regional value chains, the development of agriculture and food security, to solve the challenges of belonging to a multitude of organizations that overlap, and accelerate regional and continental integration processes ".

The specific objectives of the agreement also include the progressive elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in goods, the progressive liberalization of trade in services and cooperation in the areas of investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy.

In addition, it is for the States Parties to the Zlecaf to cooperate in all areas related to trade, to cooperate in the customs field and in the implementation of trade facilitation measures, to establish a settlement mechanism. disputes concerning their rights and obligations and to establish and maintain an institutional framework for the implementation and management of the area.