Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA)

African countries have signed a historic The Tripartite Free Trade
Area (TFTA) that facilitates creation of Africa's largest free-trade
zone.

This free-trade zone will cover 26 countries in an area from
southernmost tip of African continent i.e. Cape Town (South Africa) to
Cairo (Egypt) in the north.

The pact was signed in Egypt will intent to ease the movement of goods
across 26 member countries which represent more than half the
continent's GDP.

TFTA pact combines existing three trade blocs among the African nations viz

**Southern African Development Community (SADC).

**East African Community (EAC).

**Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

It will remove trade barriers on most goods, making them cheaper and
stimulating $ 1 trillion worth of economic activity across the region
of more than 600 million people. Thus bolster intra-regional trade by
creating a wider market that will increase investment flow and enhance
regional infrastructure development.

The pact will then be officially unveiled at the upcoming 25th summit
of the African Union in South Africa. After adopting it will need
parliamentary ratification from all member-nations.

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