Cairo: Egypt has successfully managed to achieve a consensus among African nations on the pending rules of origin within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, specifically targeting the clothing, textiles, and automotive sectors. The consensus was reached through a transitional implementation mechanism after extensive negotiations that spanned over four years.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the breakthrough occurred during the 17th meeting of the African Trade Ministers Council, hosted by Cairo and chaired by Engineer Hassan Al-Khatib, Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade. A supplementary virtual meeting of the Ministerial Council also took place in October, under Egypt's leadership of the Bureau of the Ministerial Council of Trade Ministers of the Agreement.

The meetings culminated in the adoption of the much-debated rules of origin for specific sectors, providing a roadmap for their full implementation post-transition. Additionally, eight annexes to the intellectual property protocol were adopted, setting the stage for their presentation at the upcoming African Union Summit.

Engineer Hassan Al-Khatib announced that the meetings also led to the adoption of various regulations and frameworks that will support the implementation of the agreement. These include regulatory frameworks for service sectors such as finance and telecommunications within the trade in services protocol. Draft terms of reference for working groups on data protection and transfer, payments and digital identities, and emerging and advanced technologies within the digital trade protocol were also approved.

Further developments included the adoption of internal regulations for the Committee of Heads of Competition Authorities, guidelines for forming and operating the Continental Competition Tribunal, the establishment of the Continental Competition Network, and an action plan for the Committee of Contact Points of National Committees charged with executing the agreement.

Al-Khatib emphasized the importance of the AfCFTA agreement as a tool for achieving economic integration across the continent, enhancing intra-trade and fostering joint investments. He lauded the dedication of African countries in their efforts to complete the agreement's implementation, highlighting its critical role in bolstering economic development throughout Africa.