SIX MONTHS INTO AFRICAN FREE TRADE – A SLOW AND BUMPY START

Fri, 18 June 2021

While the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement at the start of this year was greeted with widespread optimism, trade under the agreement has yet to gain much traction owing to slow implementation and a range of enduring obstacles. Most countries are already slipping behind implementation deadlines, while only large, diversified economies are set to benefit from the free trade provisions in the short term.