The Customs Administration of Senegal hosted a national workshop on Rules of Origin, with a particular focus on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), from 8 to 10 April 2025 in Dakar. Organized by the World Customs Organization (WCO) with financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the WCO/JICA Joint Project, the workshop brought together participants from the Senegal Customs Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Senegal Export Promotion Agency (ASEPEX), the Directorate for Industrial Redeployment, the Senegal Shippers' Council (COSEC), the Disciplinary Council of Licensed Customs Brokers of Senegal (CDCDS), and the National Union of Chambers of Commerce of Senegal. Business associations and other private sector representatives also participated in the workshop.
This workshop is part of the WCO/JICA Joint Project aimed at strengthening the implementation of AfCFTA Rules of Origin, to promote a more harmonized, transparent, and competitive intra-African trade environment. The objective was to provide Customs administrations and other agencies with the necessary knowledge to effectively manage preferential trade regimes under the AfCFTA Agreement, while reinforcing dialogue among key stakeholders: Customs, other government entities, and the private sector.
The formal opening ceremony of the workshop highlighted the importance of capacity building on Rules of Origin in the implementation of the AfCFTA. In their opening remarks, Mr. Malick MBAYE, Coordinator at the General Directorate of Senegal Customs, and Ms. Junko MASUDA, Resident Representative of the JICA Office in Senegal, emphasized the timeliness and critical importance of organizing such awareness-raising events to support Customs administrations and other relevant agencies in Africa. They also praised the exemplary cooperation between JICA and the WCO in enabling African Customs administrations to implement these Rules effectively, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of African economies and boosting intra-African trade.
Over the course of three days, participants attended in-depth technical sessions led by experts from the WCO and the Customs administrations of Benin and Côte d'Ivoire. These sessions aimed to strengthen participants' knowledge of the Rules of Origin and their strategic role in facilitating continental trade. The workshop also provided an opportunity to share best practice and analyze case studies related to Origin criteria, verification, certification, and progressive tariff liberalization. Through case studies and practical exercises, participants gained a thorough understanding of Rules of Origin, ensuring correct application and ownership by all stakeholders. The richness of the discussions, the relevance of the topics, and the commitment and diversity of participants made the event a true inter-institutional and multisectoral dialogue platform, in line with the principles of the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards.
The workshop also enabled participants to identify specific challenges faced by their respective administrations and to formulate clear needs for the effective implementation of AfCFTA Rules of Origin. The interactive sessions promoted a better understanding of tariff preference procedures and strengthened cooperation between Customs, national institutions, and economic operators.
Ultimately, this training session marked a tangible step toward realizing the expected benefits of AfCFTA. It also played a key role in advancing the WCO’s capacity building strategy by mobilizing a pool of experts from the beneficiary region.