African trade ministers have agreed on transitional rules of origin for the textile, apparel and automotive sectors after more than three years of talks, Egypt's Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Hassan El-Khatib announced on Tuesday. The deal, reached at the 17th African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Council of Trade Ministers meeting in Cairo, paves the way for smoother implementation of the trade pact and deeper continental integration. The transitional rules will apply for a defined period, giving member states time to phase in full AfCFTA commitments, El-Khatib said. Ministers also agreed to finalise eight annexes on intellectual property rights under the AfCFTA protocol by the deadline set by African heads of state. Egypt's proposal to defer the ninth annex on creating a continental intellectual property office was accepted pending a study on its compatibility with existing institutions. El-Khatib said the outcome highlights African solidarity and called for accelerating AfCFTA implementation and concluding second-phase negotiations on competition, investment and intellectual property. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
