The World Customs Organization (WCO) held a national workshop to raise awareness of the Rules of Origin (RoO) of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for the Uganda Customs and the private sector from 25 to 27 March 2025, in Kampala, Uganda. This workshop, organized jointly by the WCO through the WCO/JICA Joint Project and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), was designed to enhance the competencies of URA officers on the preferential Rules of Origin of the AfCFTA and the understanding of the private sector on the RoO under AfCFTA and use of its preferential scheme. The AfCFTA is the first ever continent-wide Free Trade Agreement with the principal objective of expanding intra-African trade.

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Brenda Wenene, Assistant Commissioner of Trade of the URA, and Mr. Hideshi Yamashita, Senior Representative of the JICA Uganda Office, highlighted the importance of obtaining the proper knowledge and capabilities in the AfCFTA Rules of Origin.

Thirty-two Customs officials and private sector representatives participated in this three-day course, facilitated by the WCO staff and five Master Trainers on RoO in Africa from Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.

During the workshop, many key elements of the AfCFTA RoO were introduced and intensively discussed, including product-specific rules, advance rulings, and certification procedures. The participants also worked on various case studies and exercises, which further deepened their understanding of origin determination based on the AfCFTA RoO. With the workshop's comprehensive content and the participants' active participation, the participants broadened their knowledge of the AfCFTA RoO at the end of the workshop. The workshop also allowed the participants to share practical experiences relevant to the preferential tariff schemes in the region, including the AfCFTA.

The workshop was a concrete step towards realizing the benefits of the AfCFTA. It was also crucial for the implementation of the WCO’s capacity-building strategy, as it utilized the pool of experts in the beneficiary region.

For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.