Ghana, in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the AfCFTA Secretariat, has concluded a two-day capacity-building workshop in Accra aimed at strengthening stakeholder expertise on Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) and the AfCFTA Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) online reporting mechanism.
The workshop brought together regulatory authorities, public sector institutions, and private sector players to deepen understanding of NTMs and their role in boosting regulatory transparency under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.
Participants were trained on Annex 5 of the Protocol on Trade in Goods, which addresses NTBs, and were introduced to the AfCFTA’s NTB online platform designed to streamline reporting, monitoring, and resolution of cross-border trade challenges.
Organisers emphasized that strengthening knowledge of NTMs is essential for improving compliance, building trust among trading partners, and ensuring that businesses can fully leverage AfCFTA’s opportunities. Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry co-hosted the sessions, which also provided updates on the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.
The forum created space for private sector stakeholders to share first-hand experiences of obstacles in regional trade and propose solutions to enhance coordination and efficiency across borders. These recommendations, according to facilitators, will inform ongoing reforms to reduce bottlenecks that undermine the free flow of goods and services.
The workshop forms part of broader efforts to align trade policies, reduce costs, and unlock market access across the continent as AfCFTA implementation gathers momentum.
