The COMESA FTA was established on 31st December 2000 in line with chapter 6 of the COMESA Treaty which states that Member States shall reduce and ultimately eliminate by the year 2000, in accordance with the programme adopted by the Authority, customs duties and other chargesof equivalent effect imposed on or in connection with the importation of goods eligible for Common Market Tariff treatment.
Programme Description
Nine Member States joined the FTA at its adoption and by 2012, six additional Members had joined, bringing the total number of COMESA FTA Members to fifteen. Council decision over the years has emphasized the need for the remaining non-FTA Member States to take definitive steps to join the FTA so that there is an integrated internal market.
To support the efforts above, the RISM indicator requires that at least two additional member States implement the COMESA FTA by 2016. To achieve this, a Member State will have to gazette the decision or issue a legal notice to customs authorities reducing tariffs on products traded within the Common Market to zero, without imposition of any new taxes or any increase in existing ones on Common Market trade.
Performance Assessment
At least 2 additional Member States implement the COMESA FTA by 2016