Browsing: Standards and regulations on trade in Africa

• As AfCFTA becomes a part of the daily business environment, governments and businesses need to know how product standards and regulations protect traders and the society.
• Governments need to create an enabling environment for investors, which becomes more attractive to foreign direct investment if harmonization of standards exists.
• Other trading blocs such as the European Union are strong because they collaborate on standards and compliance regulations.

The African continent presents huge potential for growth, and the recently introduced African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement promises to underpin trade facilitation and economic expansion, becoming the largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organization in 1995.

The longest journey starts with a single step. Governments, public bodies, private institutions, and investors are engaging in conversations with a pointed focus on compliance standards, verification of conformities, and regulatory alignment to encourage safe import and export.

Africa’s current population …