AU Conducted its first Consultative Workshop on the review of Boosting Intra African Trade (BIAT) and Its Action Plan.

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mai 06, 2023

Trade is widely accepted as an important engine of economic growth and development. There are many regions and countries of the world that have been able to lift their people from poverty to prosperity through trade. Africa accounts for 2.9 percent of the world’s production and 2.6 percent of the world’s trade even though 16.72 percent of the world’s population is living in the continent. (Key Statistics and Trends in Regional Trade in Africa, 2019).

The African Union Commission Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals organized a consultative workshop on the Review of BIAT and its Action Plan from 3^rd to 5^th May 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda. The Consultative Workshop focused on assessing progress on the execution of Boosting Intra African Trade(BIAT) and its Action plan in terms of successes, challenges, and proffering innovative solutions.

In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Jean -Dennis Gabikini, Head of Integration and Trade, Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism and Industry, African Union Commission gave an overview of the Boosting Intra African Trade and Its Action Plan. Remarking on the implementation of BIAT, he stated, “The BIAT Framework reached its 10th anniversary in January 2022 and during these 10 years of its implementation, there have been successes, challenges, and different levels of progress on each of the framework’s seven clusters, notably: Trade Policy, Trade Facilitation, Productive Capacity, Trade-Related Infrastructure, Trade Information, Trade Finance, and Factor Market Integration”.

One of the key achievements in ongoing efforts to boost intra-African trade was the progress made on the negotiations and implementation of the AfCFTA. Dr. Gabikini Said, “The implementation of the AfCFTA is gathering momentum, hence the 2023 AU theme was adopted by the Assembly and framed as “Accelerated Implementation of the AfCFTA”. The improved BIAT Framework will support the implementation of the AfCFTA, as well as deepening the economic integration of Africa”.

Presently, Intra-African trade is estimated to be approximately 16% compared to approximately 60%, 40%, and 30% intra-regional trade that has been achieved by Europe, North America, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), respectively. Even if allowance is made for Africa’s unrecorded informal cross-border trade (ICBT), the total level of intra-African trade is not likely to be more than 25%, which is still lower than that of other major regions of the world.

The workshop reviewed and assessed progress made on the execution of Boosting Intra African Trade and its Action Plan in terms of Success, Challenges, and proposed new action items to align the successor programs to the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (2023-2033) of Agenda2063 which spells out new and evolving emerging continental priorities.

The hybrid consultative workshop was attended by African Union Member States, AUC, COMESA, EAC, SADC, UNECA, AFREXIMBANK, and AfDB.

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