The agreement was negotiated by the African Union (AU) and signed on 21 March 2018 by 44 of its 55 member states in Kigali, Rwanda. [15] [16] The agreement first requires members to remove tariffs on 90% of goods, allowing free access to goods, goods and services across the continent. [15] The UN Economic Commission for Africa estimates that the agreement will boost intra-African trade by 52% by 2022. [17] The proposal is expected to enter into force 30 days after ratification by 22 of the signatory states. [15] On 2 April 2019, The Gambia became the 22nd state to ratify the Convention[18] and on 29 April, the Sahrawi Republic tabled the 22nd filing of ratification instruments; The agreement entered into force on 30 May and entered its operational phase following a summit on 7 July 2019. [19] Eritrea was not part of the original agreement because of the continuing state of war, but the 2018 peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea ended the conflict and ended the barrier to Eritrea`s participation in the free trade agreement. [10] [30] [45] [46] [47] The unrecognized state of Somaliland was not involved in discussions on the creation of the agreement. The AU Commission (AUC), in particular the AUC`s Ministry of Trade and Industry (DTI), is responsible for coordinating activities related to BIAT and AfCFTA. The project advises the AUC Trade Commissioner on strategic policy and interest representation issues by dismissing a regional trade advisor in the ITD structures. It also supports afCFTA`s negotiating unit by sending an expert in cooperation and trade facilitation to prepare for the negotiations. Phase I negotiation issues for trade in goods and services are supported by a number of mechanisms such as technical tailored advisory skills. B the organisation of training, seminars and workshops or selective financial support. In 2018, Washington launched Prosper Africa to coordinate U.S.

government resources and expand trade opportunities in Africa, with the goal of doubling two-way trade between the country and the continent. It is not yet known how and how quickly this project, which in principle seems great, will be implemented. Meanwhile, the official U.S. response to AfCFTA was ambivalent at best. Much to the chagrin of African leaders, the United States continues to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement with Kenya in the hope of developing a model that could be applied later to other African countries. These efforts follow a period of declines in two-way trade between the United States and Africa: between 2014 and 2018, U.S. exports to Africa fell by 32 percent, while African exports to the United States fell by 55% over the same period. In 1963, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded by the independent states of Africa. The aim of the OAU was to promote cooperation between African states. The 1980 Lagos Action Plan was adopted by the organization. The plan proposed that Africa minimize its dependence on the West by encouraging intra-African trade. It began with the creation of a number of regional cooperation organizations in different parts of Africa, such as the Conference on the Coordination of Southern African Development.