Public draft · claims are still being checked · how we check sources
Ideas · Continental free trade (AfCFTA)
Reform · Regional

Rules of origin, the last of them adopted in February 2026

Record AFR-T-0003 · draft, not yet reviewed by a person

Status by track

RulesApproved · 15 Feb 2026sources checked 27 Oct 2026

A good qualifies for AfCFTA tariffs only if it meets the rules of origin. In July 2025 the Secretary-General reported 92.43% of tariff lines agreed, with textiles and automotive products outstanding. In February 2026 the AU Assembly adopted "the agreed rules in Appendix IV" and took note of a Council of Ministers directive applying provisional rules for textiles and apparel. tralac reads this as 100% agreed; the decision read does not itself give a share or name the automotive rules.

  • Appendix IV to Annex 2 on Rules of Origin · Jul 2025
    "the percentage of agreed tariff lines remains at 92.43% (including chapters 61 and 62) due to pending conclusion of negotiations on textiles and automotives rules of origin" "the percentage of agreed tariff lines remains at 92.43% (including chapters 61 and 62) due to pending conclusion of negotiations on textiles and automotives rules of origin"Progress report on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to the Executive Council, EX.CL/1625(XLVII) · paragraph 6, printed p.2 / PDF p.4 of 18 · Jul 2025not yet checked by a personChecked by machine match from a GitHub Actions runner, 27 Oct 2026: word for word in the text extracted from the source (docs/notes/afcfta-sources-2026-10-27.md); not yet checked by a person
    Progress report on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to the Executive Council, EX.CL/1625(XLVII) · paragraph 6, printed p.2 / PDF p.4 of 18 · not yet checked by a person
  • Agreed rules in Appendix IV on Rules of Origin · 15 Feb 2026
    under "ADOPTS", the Assembly lists "The agreed rules in Appendix IV on Rules of Origin approved by the Council of Ministers" under "ADOPTS", the Assembly lists "The agreed rules in Appendix IV on Rules of Origin approved by the Council of Ministers"Decisions, declarations and resolutions of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union (14-15 February 2026) · Assembly/AU/Dec.956(XXXIX), paragraph 10, decision p.2 / PDF p.35 of 225 · 15 Feb 2026not yet checked by a person
    Decisions, declarations and resolutions of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union (14-15 February 2026) · Assembly/AU/Dec.956(XXXIX), paragraph 10, decision p.2 / PDF p.35 of 225 · not yet checked by a person
  • Ministerial Directive on the Application of the Provisional Rules of Origin for Textiles and Apparel · undated
    the Assembly "TAKES NOTE of the Ministerial Directive on the Application of the Provisional Rules of Origin for Textiles and Apparel adopted by the Council of Ministers." the Assembly "TAKES NOTE of the Ministerial Directive on the Application of the Provisional Rules of Origin for Textiles and Apparel adopted by the Council of Ministers."Decisions, declarations and resolutions of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union (14-15 February 2026) · Assembly/AU/Dec.956(XXXIX), paragraph 2, decision p.1 / PDF p.34 of 225not yet checked by a personChecked by machine match from a GitHub Actions runner, 27 Oct 2026: word for word in the text extracted from the source (docs/notes/afcfta-sources-2026-10-27.md); not yet checked by a person
    Decisions, declarations and resolutions of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union (14-15 February 2026) · Assembly/AU/Dec.956(XXXIX), paragraph 2, decision p.1 / PDF p.34 of 225 · not yet checked by a person
  • Appendix IV to Annex 2 on Rules of Origin · undated
    "The AU Assembly, at its February 2026 meeting, adopted the out-standing rules of origin for the automotive, clothing and textiles sectors. As a result, 100% of the AfCFTA rules of origin have now been agreed." "The AU Assembly, at its February 2026 meeting, adopted the out-standing rules of origin for the automotive, clothing and textiles sectors. As a result, 100% of the AfCFTA rules of origin have now been agreed."AfCFTA: Frequently Asked Questions, updated September 2026 · PDF p.6, question 8not yet checked by a personChecked by machine match from a GitHub Actions runner, 27 Oct 2026: word for word in the text extracted from the source (docs/notes/afcfta-sources-2026-10-27.md); not yet checked by a personSecondary source: the Assembly decision read adopts "the agreed rules in Appendix IV" without naming sectors or a share; tralac's reading is recorded as tralac's
    AfCFTA: Frequently Asked Questions, updated September 2026 · PDF p.6, question 8 · not yet checked by a person
Not established
  • Whether the automotive rules are among those the Assembly adopted. The decision read does not name them; tralac says they are.
  • Whether South Africa has put the rules adopted in February 2026 into its tariff schedule. SARS amended its Appendix IV with effect from 31 January 2024 (Notice R.4286, listed on its tariff amendments page); a later amendment was not found in the sources read.

Institutions named

A role is shown only where a quoted source says what the institution does on this reform.

Reach: 0 cross-border links, 0 blockers, 2 institutions in 1 country. Counted from the records.