AfCFTA Mutual Recognition Agreements Workshop in Nairobi: A Pivotal Step Toward Seamless Intra-African Trade

AfCFTA Mutual Recognition Agreements Workshop in Nairobi: A Pivotal Step Toward Seamless Intra-African Trade

Nairobi, Kenya – On July 8, 2025, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat launched a landmark Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, marking a significant stride toward eliminating technical barriers to trade across the continent. This three-day event, hosted in collaboration with National Quality Infrastructure Institutions, Regulatory Authorities, private sector stakeholders, and AfCFTA State Parties, is poised to reshape the landscape of intra-African trade by fostering mutual recognition of conformity assessment results. Through knowledge sharing, dialogue on regulatory and technical challenges, and lessons drawn from global best practices, the workshop aims to pave the way for a robust AfCFTA Mutual Recognition Arrangement, unlocking trust, regulatory alignment, and enhanced market access for African traders.

The Context: Why MRAs Matter for AfCFTA

The AfCFTA, one of the flagship projects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, seeks to create a single continental market encompassing 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of over $3.4 trillion. Since its operational phase began on January 1, 2021, the agreement has aimed to boost intra-African trade by eliminating tariffs on 90% of goods and reducing non-tariff barriers (NTBs) such as cumbersome customs processes, inconsistent standards, and regulatory discrepancies. However, technical barriers to trade (TBTs)—stemming from divergent standards, testing, and certification requirements—remain a significant hurdle, often increasing costs and delaying market access for traders, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) are a critical tool to address these barriers. By enabling State Parties to accept each other’s standards, certifications, and conformity assessment results—such as testing, inspection, or accreditation—MRAs reduce the need for redundant procedures, lower trade costs, and enhance market access. The Nairobi workshop, as announced by the AfCFTA Secretariat on X, is a deliberate effort to operationalize Annex 6 of the AfCFTA Agreement, which focuses on Technical Barriers to Trade and emphasizes cooperation in standards, technical regulations, conformity assessment, accreditation, and metrology.

The Workshop: Objectives and Structure

The Nairobi MRA Workshop brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including National Quality Infrastructure Institutions (such as standards bodies and accreditation agencies), Regulatory Authorities, private sector representatives, and policymakers from AfCFTA State Parties. The event is structured to facilitate dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the identification of actionable strategies to implement MRAs effectively. Key objectives include:

• Promoting Mutual Recognition of Conformity Assessments: The workshop seeks to establish frameworks for State Parties to recognize each other’s testing and certification results, reducing the need for duplicative processes that inflate costs for traders.
• Harmonizing Standards and Regulations: By fostering cooperation among regulatory bodies, the workshop aims to align technical standards and regulations, ensuring consistency across markets.
• Learning from Global Best Practices: Drawing on international examples, such as the EU-Swiss MRA, which has significantly reduced regulatory red tape for exporters, the workshop explores models for effective MRAs tailored to Africa’s unique context.
• Engaging the Private Sector: Recognizing the private sector’s critical role, the workshop provides a platform for businesses, particularly SMEs, to voice challenges and contribute to solutions that enhance trade competitiveness.
• Building Capacity and Transparency: The event emphasizes capacity-building programs and mechanisms to ensure transparency in the development and implementation of standards and conformity assessment procedures.

The workshop’s agenda includes breakout sessions for peer learning, plenary discussions to share experiences, and the development of a list of high-impact strategic areas requiring immediate attention from governments, the private sector, and development partners. This aligns with the AfCFTA Secretariat’s broader commitment to institutionalizing peer-learning platforms, as evidenced by the January 2024 Nairobi conference on AfCFTA implementation strategies.

Expected Wins for Traders

The outcomes of the Nairobi MRA Workshop are expected to deliver tangible benefits for African traders, particularly in the following areas:

• Reduced Trade Costs: By eliminating the need for multiple certifications and tests in different markets, MRAs will significantly lower compliance costs. For instance, a Kenyan exporter of agricultural products to Ghana will no longer need to repeat costly conformity assessments if both countries recognize each other’s standards, as demonstrated by Kenya’s first AfCFTA export to Ghana in October 2022.
• Faster Market Access: Streamlined procedures will reduce delays at borders caused by differing regulatory requirements. The AfCFTA’s Continental Online Tool for monitoring and eliminating NTBs, launched in 2019, complements this effort by providing a mechanism to address barriers in real-time, and MRAs will further accelerate trade flows.
• Enhanced Competitiveness for SMEs: SMEs, which form the backbone of Africa’s economy, often lack the resources to navigate complex regulatory landscapes. MRAs will level the playing field, enabling SMEs to access broader markets without prohibitive costs. The UNDP’s support for SMEs through training and regional linkages underscores the potential for MRAs to empower small businesses.

• Boosted Intra-African Trade: By harmonizing standards and fostering trust in conformity assessment results, MRAs will facilitate trade in value-added goods and services, a core AfCFTA objective. The World Bank projects that AfCFTA could lift 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty and generate $450 billion in income by 2035, with MRAs playing a pivotal role in achieving these gains.
• Support for Regional Value Chains: MRAs will enable the development of regional value chains by ensuring that goods and services meet consistent standards across State Parties. For example, industries like fisheries, pharmaceuticals, and tourism—prioritized in Kenya’s AfCFTA Implementation Strategy (2022-2027) stand to benefit from simplified cross-border trade.
• Increased Investment and Job Creation: By creating a more predictable and transparent trade environment, MRAs will attract investment and foster job creation. The AfCFTA’s focus on value-added production, supported by MRAs, aligns with the goal of industrializing Africa and reducing reliance on external imports.

Challenges and the Path Forward

Despite the promise of MRAs, challenges remain. Regulatory sovereignty concerns, diverse national standards, and limited capacity in some State Parties could hinder progress. For instance, negotiations on MRAs are often complicated by fears of losing control over professional standards or market protection, as noted in the context of trade in services. Additionally, infrastructure deficits and supply-side constraints, such as inadequate transport and logistics, must be addressed to fully realize the benefits of MRAs. The African Union’s Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) is critical in this regard.

The workshop’s emphasis on global best practices offers a roadmap to overcome these challenges. For example, the EU-Swiss MRA demonstrates that MRAs can reduce trade barriers without compromising regulatory objectives, providing a model for Africa. Moreover, the AfCFTA Secretariat’s commitment to capacity building and transparency, as highlighted by Prudence Sebahizi at the January 2024 Nairobi conference, ensures that State Parties are equipped to implement MRAs effectively.

A Call to Action

The Nairobi MRA Workshop is a clarion call for African nations to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps toward a unified market. By fostering trust and alignment through mutual recognition, the AfCFTA can unlock the continent’s economic potential, creating opportunities for traders, businesses, and communities. The private sector, particularly SMEs, must actively engage in these discussions to ensure that MRAs address their practical needs. Meanwhile, State Parties must commit to harmonizing standards and building the institutional capacity needed to sustain these agreements.

As H.E. Ambassador Albert Muchanga noted, the AfCFTA is “the launch pad for deeper continental integration.” The Nairobi workshop is a critical step in this journey, laying the foundation for a future where African traders can compete globally, unhindered by technical barriers. For traders across the continent, the message is clear: the path to prosperity lies in collaboration, trust, and a shared commitment to making the AfCFTA a reality.

Ambassador Salim Kim Walusimbi is an AfCFTA Trade Advisor, Trade Diplomat and a thought leader on African economic integration and sustainable trade.