Foreign trade procedures for SMEs under AfCFTA.

The meeting will hold online on zoom on 29 and 30 June 2021. It will be hosted by Douala Maritime Museum, Cameroon.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for around 80% of businesses in Africa, form the backbone of the continent's economy. In Cameroon, PMEs generate 35% of the GDP and provide jobs for 70% of the country's workers, many of whom are women and young people. The microstructure and way of operation of SMEs make it difficult for them to penetrate foreign markets, yet they are well placed to take advantage of regional export destinations and can use regional markets as a springboard to expan into foreign markets. A good example for Cameroon is the informal cross-border trade (CTI) in agricultural products facilitated by its membership in the CEMAC common customs territory. The advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) widens the scope of action for SMEs given that 50% to 60% of intra-African trade is informal. Under AfCFTA, SMEs will be able to supply large regional exporting companies with inputs and contribute to the construction of regional value chains. Accessing the AfCFTA common market therefore represents a considerable challenge for SMEs which often have to struggle to survive and grow; especially in a context of post-covid recovery where cross-border trade has been seriously impacted. This market, which has some 1.2 billion consumers and a combined GDP of around 3 trillion USD for the African Union Member States now forms the second largest global free trade area since the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO ), after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Asia and the Pacific.

Forecasts predict intra-African trade growth of 52% by 2022, with a view to creating a better macroeconomic environment for SMEs and contributing to an estimated well-being improvement of nearly USD 16.1 billion. Given the important role of SMEs in African economies, they cannot be left on the sidelines. This is one of the reasons why this webinar, the second in 2021 is organised on the theme "Foreign trade procedures for SMEs under ZLECAF". Like the first one it will hold online because of the resurgence of Covid19 in Cameroon and the need to comply with the response measures prescribed by the Government of Cameroon and the WHO.

The overall objective of the webinar is to inform and sensitise shippers and international trade stakeholders on the need to acquaint themselves with foreign trade procedures for successful trade between African countries under the AfCFTA. It will also explore ways and means of making AfCFTA a tool for transformation and development at the service of SMEs. Since SMEs fall within the private sector, which accounts for nearly 80% of state resources, it will be important to examine more generally private sector participation in the implementation of the AfCFTA.

As for the specific objectives, these will be to:

-Identify recent developments concerning AfCFTA;

- Understand AfCFTA challenges and perspectives;

- Master foreign trade procedures in general and those concerning AfCFTA, in particular;

- Identify the difficulties encountered by SMEs, in generally, and women, in particular in engaging in cross-border trade and propose solutions thereto;

- Present private sector participation in the success of the AfCFTA;

- Examine the diversification of export products for more competitiveness in the AfCFTA market.

The webinar will be held in French and English with simultaneous interpretation and will target :

-Shippers;

- Import/Export managers ;

- Licensed customs brokers;

- Customs clearance declarants;

- Logistic managers;

- Handling agents;

- Purchasing managers;

- External trade business persons

- Procurement managers;

- Foreign trade businesses;

- Shippers’ Trade Unions ;

- Shippers’ Associations;

Register to participate!