Tanzania has demonstrated greater commitment to trading with the rest of the continent than its regional peers, having issued more official international trade documents to facilitate commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

 

It is now leading East African Community partner states in issuing Certificates of Origin under the AfCFTA trading arrangement, which signals an increase in businesses taking advantage of preferential access to Africa’s single market.

A Certificate of Origin is a document used in international trade to identify a product’s country of origin. It acts as a ‘passport’ for goods to receive preferential tariff treatment.

An analysis of trade performance under the AfCFTA shows by June 2025, Tanzania had issued 392 Certificates of Origin, ranking first in EAC.

In 2024, her exports under AfCFTA were worth to $3.9 billion. It issues AfCFTA Certificates of Origin through the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (TCCIA). These certificates confirm that goods comply with AfCFTA Rules of Origin, including the ‘wholly obtained’ rule and the minimum regional value content requirement. This enables Tanzanian businesses to benefit from preferential tariffs across Africa.“We urge enterprises to discuss and identify barriers preventing them from realising the full potential of the AfCFTA market of 1.3 billion consumers,” said Mr Deogratius Massawe, Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) CEO, during a recent East African Business Council workshop on Rules of Origin.

Rules of Origin set the criteria for whether a product qualifies as genuinely African-made, ensuring value addition. A Certificate of Origin details the product’s specifications and identities of the exporter and importer, enabling the application of tariffs and duties.“It is up to the private sector to work with the government in identifying new markets and Tanzanian products with unrealised potential on the continent,” said Adrian Njau, the EABC Trade and Policy Advisor.

Some of the products that Tanzania exports to AfCFTA markets include sisal fibre, float glass, insecticidal mosquito nets, rice, coffee, and fruit and vegetables. The new AfCFTA markets for Tanzania include Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, Ethiopia, Algeria, Guinea and Nigeria. With negotiations on 100 per cent of the Rules of Origin—including outstanding sectors such as clothing, textiles and automotive products—finalised and approved by the AU Assembly, Tanzanian traders can export eligible commodities to new African markets that previously had limited trade ties.

Addressing the 18th Meeting of the AfCFTA Ministers Responsible for Trade in Abuja on 30 June, Secretary-General Wamkele Mene said Africa had completed negotiations on the agreement’s legal instruments and must now prioritise implementation to unlock industrialisation, digital trade, job creation and shared prosperity.“African countries have to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA, as the era of negotiations is over and the focus must now shift to delivering tangible economic transformation across the continent,” said Mene.

He noted that more than 10,000 certificates of origin had already been issued under the agreement by the end of March 2026, while Africa’s total trade was projected to grow by around 10 per cent this year, with intra-African trade expected to reach approximately $230 billion.“More than 12,000 certificates of origin had been issued under the AfCFTA and notified to the Secretariat as of March 2026. Implementation is under way,” said Mene. “I call on member states to ratify outstanding protocols, establish national implementation teams, and integrate AfCFTA into national development plans and budgets.”

© Copyright 2026 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).