Which agreement created the African Continental Free Trade Area?

The Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area created the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The agreement was adopted in Kigali, Rwanda, on 21 March 2018, at an extraordinary summit of the African Union. It entered into force on 30 May 2019 after the required number of ratifications, and trading under its preferential rules officially began on 1 January 2021.

The AfCFTA aims to create a single African market for goods and services, gradually remove tariffs, and improve cooperation on customs and trade facilitation. It is implemented under the umbrella of the African Union and is supported by a dedicated secretariat in Accra, Ghana.

The pact is often confused with the African Union itself or with older regional communities such as ECOWAS and SADC. Those regional organizations remain important; the AfCFTA is intended to connect their markets across the continent.