Presentation and Procedures in the African Continental Free Trade Area

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a market and a commercial and economic space that covers 54 out of 55 African States. Established on March 21, 2018 by the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA, taking into account the number of participating countries, it is the largest trade agreement in the world since the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO).Strengthened by the quality of the legal instruments that govern it, the AfCFTA entered its operational phase on January 1, 2021, despite the difficult context of the Covid 19 pandemic. The analysis of the successes achieved in such a short time shows that in its characteristics and activities, the AfCFTA is not just an additional experience in the African community adventure. On the contrary, this analysis in the light of the multilateral trading system of the WTO, to which majority of members are State parties to the AfCFTA and other international legal instruments applicable to free trade areas, or even to African community areas, offers elements of satisfaction as to the future of the AfCFTA.