Zimbabwe yet to submit tariff offer to AfCFTA

Prosper Ndlovu

ZIMBABWE is finalising domestic processes regarding the Tariff Offer to be able to import and export under the historic African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which began official trading last Friday.

The country has already signed and ratified the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA, affirming commitment to deepening integration and trade within Africa.

However, in order to operationalise the Agreement, member states are required to submit Tariff Offers (schedule of tariff concessions), among other requirements.

The schedule will show the preferential tariffs per year to be applied on imports coming from the African continent, with the aim of eventually eliminating the tariffs.

“Zimbabwe is yet to submit her Tariff Offer to the AfCFTA Secretariat as per the requirements of the Agreement.

“However, domestic processes to finalise the Tariff Offer are at an advanced stage. The work was greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Mrs Beatrice Mtetwa, the Acting Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade in emailed responses.

“Once the country submits the Schedule of Tariff Concessions and it is subsequently gazetted, the country will be able to export and import within the AfCFTA at reduced preferential customs duties for products with agreed rules of origin from the African continent.”

The operationalisation of the AfCFTA was initially scheduled for July 2020 but had to be delayed following the outbreak of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, which hindered timely finalisation of negotiations.

Zimbabwe expects to benefit more from the estimated US$3,4 trillion regional economy and the widened market of about 1,3 billion people.