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Brief Overview
The Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA was signed on 21st March 2018 and entered into force on 30th May 2019. The operational phase of the AfCFTA was launched during the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union on the AfCFTA in Niamey, Niger on 7 July 2019. Trading under the AfCFTA regime commenced on 1st January 2021.
As of January 2022, 54 of 55 Member States of the African Union have signed the AfCFTA Agreement, and 40 have deposited their instruments of ratification with the Depositary of the Agreement.




Quick Facts
- As of January 2022, 54 of 55 Member States of the African Union have signed the AfCFTA Agreement, and 42 have deposited their instrument of ratification with the Depositary of the Agreement
- The AfCFTA is the largest free trade area in the world measured by the number of countries participating.
- The AfCFTA connects 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at US$3.4 trillion
- AfCFTA has the potential to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty.
- AfCFTA is expected to boost Africa’s income by $450 billion by 2035 (a gain of 7 percent) while adding $76 billion to the income of the rest of the world
Key timelines in the AfCFTA establishment and negotiations:

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Johannesburg, South Africa

Kigali, Rwanda

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Niamey, Niger

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Accra, Ghana

Johannesburg, South Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The 18th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government adopted the Decision on « Fast tracking the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for Boosting Intra-African Trade »
January 2012Johannesburg, South Africa
The 25th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government launched the negotiations for the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
June 2015Kigali, Rwanda
At the 10th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government, 44 of the 55 African Union Member States signed the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA);
March 2018Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Entry into force of the AfCFTA Agreement, after the 22nd deposit of instrument of ratification by the Saharawi Republic on 29 April 2019.
30 May 2019Niamey, Niger
The 12th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government launched the operational phase of the AfCFTA. Start of trading under the AfCFTA Agreement began on 1st January 2021.
July 2019Johannesburg, South Africa
Start of Trading under AfCFTA.
13th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly on the AfCFTA
1 January 2021