Reform · Regional
Tariff schedules that let a country trade under the AfCFTA, from adoption to gazetting
Record AFR-T-0002 · draft, not yet reviewed by a person
Status by track
RulesApproved · Feb 2022sources checked 27 Oct 2026
The Council of Ministers adopted a directive in October 2021 letting countries whose tariff schedules met the agreed modalities trade preferentially among themselves before final schedules are agreed, and the AU Assembly adopted it in February 2022. A schedule then has to be verified and adopted, and gazetted at home, before a country can trade under it.
- Ministerial Directive on the Provisional Application of Schedules of Tariff Concessions · Oct 2021"In October 2021, the AfCFTA Council of Ministers (CoM) for Trade adopted the Ministerial Directive on the Provisional Application of Schedules of Tariff Concessions." "In October 2021, the AfCFTA Council of Ministers (CoM) for Trade adopted the Ministerial Directive on the Provisional Application of Schedules of Tariff Concessions."not yet checked by a personLetter to trade: Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement · PDF p.1 of 2 · not yet checked by a person
- Ministerial Directive on the Provisional Application of Schedules of Tariff Concessions · Feb 2022"The Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted the Ministerial Directive in February 2022." "The Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted the Ministerial Directive in February 2022."not yet checked by a personLetter to trade: Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement · PDF p.1 of 2 · not yet checked by a person
- Provisional Schedules of Tariff Concessions (procedure) · undated"Once their tariff schedules are verified and adopted, State Parties must gazette them to domesticate them in national law. Each State Party then submits a copy of the official Gazette and the gazetted tariff schedule to the AfCFTA Secretariat, which circulates them to all State Parties." "Once their tariff schedules are verified and adopted, State Parties must gazette them to domesticate them in national law. Each State Party then submits a copy of the official Gazette and the gazetted tariff schedule to the AfCFTA Secretariat, which circulates them to all State Parties."not yet checked by a personStatus of Tariff Offers: July 2026 · "About these figures" ("From adoption to trade") · not yet checked by a person
DeliveryPartly operating · Jul 2026sources checked 27 Oct 2026
By July 2026, 48 State Parties had tariff schedules adopted by the Council of Ministers, 26 had gazetted them and 12 had notified the Secretariat that they were trading under them. The 22 adopted but not gazetted include Angola and Zimbabwe in SADC, and Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal in ECOWAS. A year earlier the Secretary-General reported gazette notices from 24 State Parties, and 17 full schedules covering all tariff categories. The AU Assembly urged the rest to gazette and start trading by the end of 2026. The Guided Trade Initiative, a Secretariat pilot that matched firms in a few countries from October 2022, grew to 39 countries and ended in 2025; more than 12,000 certificates of origin had been notified by March 2026. Trade values under the Agreement were not found in the sources read.
- schedules adopted and full schedules, July 2025 · Jul 2025"49 Provisional Schedules of Tariff Concessions (PSTCs) have been submitted, and 48 of them have been adopted"; "Of the 48 verified and adopted offers, only 17 State Parties have submitted full Schedules of Tariff Concessions (STCs) covering Categories A, B, and C. Most of the remaining 31 are Category A only, mainly from Customs Unions (EAC, ECOWAS, SACU)." "49 Provisional Schedules of Tariff Concessions (PSTCs) have been submitted, and 48 of them have been adopted"; "Of the 48 verified and adopted offers, only 17 State Parties have submitted full Schedules of Tariff Concessions (STCs) covering Categories A, B, and C. Most of the remaining 31 are Category A only, mainly from Customs Unions (EAC, ECOWAS, SACU)."not yet checked by a personProgress report on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to the Executive Council, EX.CL/1625(XLVII) · paragraphs 3-4, printed p.1 / PDF p.3 of 18 · not yet checked by a person
- gazette notices received, July 2025 · Jul 2025"the Secretariat has received gazette notices from 24 State Parties that have completed the domestication process for the implementation of the AfCFTA thus confirming their readiness to trade under AfCFTA regime" "the Secretariat has received gazette notices from 24 State Parties that have completed the domestication process for the implementation of the AfCFTA thus confirming their readiness to trade under AfCFTA regime"not yet checked by a personProgress report on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to the Executive Council, EX.CL/1625(XLVII) · paragraph 5, printed p.2 / PDF p.4 of 18 · not yet checked by a person
- gazetting by Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Namibia · undatedthe Assembly "FURTHER COMMENDS the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republics of Mozambique and Namibia for completing their domestic process of gazetting the Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions" the Assembly "FURTHER COMMENDS the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republics of Mozambique and Namibia for completing their domestic process of gazetting the Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions"not yet checked by a personDecision on the report of the first meeting of the Assembly Committee of Heads of State and Government on the implementation of the AfCFTA, Assembly/AU/Dec.975(XXXIX) · paragraph 11, PDF p.2 of 5 · not yet checked by a person
- gazetting by the remaining State Parties (the Assembly's deadline) · target: by the end of 2026the Assembly "URGES the remaining State Parties that are yet to gazette their respective Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions to complete their domestic processes and finalise internal procedures to initiate trade under the rules of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA, by the end of 2026" the Assembly "URGES the remaining State Parties that are yet to gazette their respective Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions to complete their domestic processes and finalise internal procedures to initiate trade under the rules of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA, by the end of 2026"not yet checked by a personDecision on the report of the first meeting of the Assembly Committee of Heads of State and Government on the implementation of the AfCFTA, Assembly/AU/Dec.975(XXXIX) · paragraph 11, PDF p.2 of 5 · not yet checked by a person
- schedules gazetted, July 2026 · Jul 2026"26 countries": Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, The Gambia, Tunisia, Uganda, South Africa, South Sudan, Zambia and Sierra Leone "26 countries": Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, The Gambia, Tunisia, Uganda, South Africa, South Sudan, Zambia and Sierra Leoneparaphrase, not a quotationStatus of Tariff Offers: July 2026 · stage 04, "Gazetted PSTCs: domesticated and ready to trade" · paraphrase, not a quotation
- schedules adopted but not gazetted, July 2026 · Jul 2026"22 countries": Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Zimbabwe, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau "22 countries": Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Zimbabwe, Guinea and Guinea-Bissauparaphrase, not a quotationStatus of Tariff Offers: July 2026 · stage 03, "Adopted PSTCs, yet to be gazetted" · paraphrase, not a quotation
- State Parties trading, July 2026 · Jul 2026"State Parties that have formally notified the AfCFTA Secretariat that they are trading under AfCFTA preferences": 12 countries, namely Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Tunisia and South Africa "State Parties that have formally notified the AfCFTA Secretariat that they are trading under AfCFTA preferences": 12 countries, namely Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Tunisia and South Africanot yet checked by a personStatus of Tariff Offers: July 2026 · stage 05, "Notified the Secretariat of trading under the AfCFTA" · not yet checked by a person
- Guided Trade Initiative launched · 7 Oct 2022"The AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), launched on October 7, 2022, represents a strategic approach to initiate commercially significant trade under the AfCFTA preferences." "The AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), launched on October 7, 2022, represents a strategic approach to initiate commercially significant trade under the AfCFTA preferences."not yet checked by a personGuided Trade Initiative · page text, first paragraph · not yet checked by a person
- Guided Trade Initiative's first participants · undated"Rwanda is among eight state parties – Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania and Tunisia – participating in the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative." "Rwanda is among eight state parties – Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania and Tunisia – participating in the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative."not yet checked by a personWhat is the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative all about? · article text, second paragraph · not yet checked by a person
- Guided Trade Initiative concluded · 2025"The Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) expanded from 7 to 39 participating countries"; "Over 1,200 Certificates of Origin were issued, reflecting active trade in diverse products"; "Having achieved its objectives, the GTI has concluded." "The Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) expanded from 7 to 39 participating countries"; "Over 1,200 Certificates of Origin were issued, reflecting active trade in diverse products"; "Having achieved its objectives, the GTI has concluded."not yet checked by a personProgress report on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to the Executive Council, EX.CL/1625(XLVII) · paragraphs 22 and 24, printed p.5 / PDF p.7 of 18 · not yet checked by a person
- certificates of origin notified, March 2026 · Mar 2026the Secretary-General pointed to "more than 12,000 Certificates of Origin issued under the Agreement and notified to the Secretariat as of March 2026" the Secretary-General pointed to "more than 12,000 Certificates of Origin issued under the Agreement and notified to the Secretariat as of March 2026"not yet checked by a personAfCFTA Council of Ministers concludes 18th Meeting in Abuja (press release) · press release, seventh paragraph · not yet checked by a person
Not established
- What has been traded under the Agreement, between which countries and at what value. Not found in the sources read; certificates of origin are the only measure of use found, and the release does not say how many shipments one certificate covers.
- Why 14 State Parties with gazetted schedules (Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho among them, which share SACU's offer with South Africa and Namibia) have not notified the Secretariat that they are trading. The tracker does not say.
- The Secretary-General's July 2025 report gave January 2026 for the start of tariff cuts on sensitive (Category B) products; whether they began was not found in the sources read.
- The Secretariat's 2022 article names eight first participants; its July 2025 report says the initiative grew from seven. Not reconciled.
Observations
One snapshot, the Secretariat's July 2026 tracker, with the Secretary-General's July 2025 counts for comparison. The two use different measures (adopted schedules against gazette notices received); they are not a trend.
| Period | Segment | Measure | Value | Denominator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | AfCFTA State Parties | State Parties that have ratified the Agreement | 50 countries | 54 AU Member States that signed (the tracker's bars use this base) | not yet checked by a person |
| Jul 2026 | AfCFTA State Parties | Provisional Schedules of Tariff Concessions verified and adopted by the Council of Ministers | 48 countries | 54 AU Member States that signed | not yet checked by a person |
| Jul 2026 | AfCFTA State Parties | schedules adopted but not yet published in the national gazette | 22 countries | 54 AU Member States that signed | not yet checked by a person |
| Jul 2026 | AfCFTA State Parties | schedules gazetted ("domesticated and ready to trade") | 26 countries | 54 AU Member States that signed | not yet checked by a person |
| Jul 2026 | AfCFTA State Parties | State Parties that have notified the Secretariat that they are trading under AfCFTA preferences | 12 countries | 54 AU Member States that signed | not yet checked by a person |
Blockers
Connections
- Joint action or dependency with South Africa trading under the AfCFTA
Institutions named
A role is shown only where a quoted source says what the institution does on this reform.
- AfCFTA Council of Ministersdecides adopted the directive letting countries trade under provisional tariff schedules, and adopts each schedule once verified "In October 2021, the AfCFTA Council of Ministers (CoM) for Trade adopted the Ministerial Directive on the Provisional Application of Schedules of Tariff Concessions."not yet checked by a person
- AfCFTA Secretariat
- African Union Assemblydecides adopted the Council of Ministers' directive on provisional tariff schedules, and set the end of 2026 for the remaining State Parties to gazette theirs "The Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted the Ministerial Directive in February 2022."not yet checked by a personthe Assembly "URGES the remaining State Parties that are yet to gazette their respective Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions to complete their domestic processes and finalise internal procedures to initiate trade under the rules of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA, by the end of 2026"not yet checked by a person
Reach: 1 cross-border links, 1 blockers, 3 institutions in 1 country. Counted from the records.