Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, has met with the Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry to reveal that African heads of states have agreed at the AU Summit that the continent commences trading at the 87.7% currently negotiated rules of origin.
According to the AfCFTA boss, the heads of states expressed excitement about the level of a work done by the Council of Trade Ministers.
Mr. Mene said with 87.7 percent on rules of origin convergence, the continent was ready to start trading.
“We can’t keep delaying and going back-to-back so as much as they recognize that we’ve made very good progress with rule of origin but they said please don’t keep coming back to ask for more time.
However, they did agree for an extension of six months to conclude the remain areas of rules of origin that is textiles and trading, automobiles as well as sugar and oil and so on. So, we have now a new mandate to conclude by June before the mid-year coordination summit in July,” Mr. Mene said.