With the decision of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers in 2022, the African Union decided to launch the so-called "Guided Trade Initiative (GTI)" in addition to the ordinary steps of the gradual implementation of the free trade area. Under this directive, eight countries were selected to reduce tariffs among themselves in selected sectors and "test" free trade.

The study, published jointly by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Ethiopia/African Union and the African Trade Policy Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, is intended to document the first steps of the GTI and provide indications of the changes that need to be made to the AfCFTA in order to develop it into a sustainable success.

The study focuses primarily on case studies from Ghana, Rwanda, Cameroon and Kenya. In 2024, 31 more countries are expected to join the Guided Trade Initiative and experience and data can provide even more detailed results and recommendations.

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