Background
From the AfCFTA to the African Trade Observatory
The decision by the 18th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2012 led to the establishment of the AfCFTA. The Agreement was subsequently signed in 2018 at the 44th Extraordinary Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda.
One of the five operational tools of the AfCFTA, the African Trade Observatory (ATO), was introduced at the 12th Extra-Ordinary African Union Summit in Niamey, Niger, in July 2019.
The start of trading under the Agreement on January 2021 highlighted the relevance of the ATO. The ATO offers current and trustworthy data to support policy and commercial choices, as well as to track the Agreement’s implementation process and its effects. The ATO thus leverages the provision of trade intelligence to foster trade integration in Africa.
AfCFTA
African Continental Free Trade Area
01
Automatic data transfer system
Collects, processes, and analyses automatically sourced data from Member States and other sources.
02
Business intelligence dashboard
The Compare and Explore Modules offer African businesses timely and reliable information tracking intra-regional trade flows, highlighting opportunities for export growth within the region, and the relevant market requirements
03
Monitor Module
This tool, accessible to African policymakers, tracks the implementation of the AfCFTA and evaluates its impact through real-time indicators.
04
Trade analysis unit
Establishes a network of African trade experts with recognized skills in data analysis to support AUC Members' policy decisions.
Compare
Compare trade and market access information across countries, products, or markets.
Explore
Find detailed trade and market access-related information for a country/product/market combination.
Access the African Trade Observatory
Explore trade data, compare markets, and monitor the implementation of the AfCFTA through the official ATO platform.
