ECOWAS urged to ratify Trade Facilitation Agreement

Economies in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc have been urged to ratify the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement reached at the Bali Ministerial Conference two years ago, in order to boost trade among member-countries. 

The Trade Facilitation Agreement contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between Customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and Customs compliance issues. 

It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area, and can only come into force when two-thirds of the 160 member-states of the WTO have completed their domestic ratification process.

The call was made by Paul Fekete, Senior International Trade Advisor at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID-Washington); when he made a presentation on the ‘Impact of Trade Agreements on the Movement of Agricultural Products’, at the just-ended fourth annual conference of Borderless Alliance held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Mr. Fekete explained the main objective of trade facilitation is to reduce the cost of international trade transactions while maintaining an efficient and effective control system, adding that it is in this context that the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement was brokered. 

He said the Trade Facilitation Agreement in the WTO context refers to Articles V, VIII and X of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which deal with freedom of transit for goods, fees and formalities connected with importing and exporting, and the publication and administration of trade regulations (transparency). 

He added that these will translate into achieving the broad objectives of expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods; improve cooperation between Customs and other authorities, and enhance technical assistance and build capacity.

According to Mr. Fekte, the US government has since 2001 provided US$15billion in the form of assistance for capacity building efforts, including supporting countries in assessing their needs within the wider context of the Bali agreement. 

He has therefore called on civil society organisations, including Borderless Alliance, to advocate for timely ratification of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.