Africa-Press. The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, signed the law for joining the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement after parliamentary approval, completing the internal approval procedures that pave the way for the country’s official accession to the largest free trade area on the continent.
The Somali People’s Assembly approved the agreement on October 20, 2025, with 145 votes in favor and one against, without any abstentions, in a move described by the government as a significant milestone for integrating Somalia into the unified African market.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry clarified in a statement that the president’s signature authorizes the government to deposit the ratification document with the African Union Commission, which is the final legal step required for Somalia to become a party to the agreement under international law.
The ministry confirmed that joining the agreement will provide Somali companies, manufacturers, cooperatives, and investors with preferential access to a unified African market of over 1.4 billion people, opening new horizons for exports, manufacturing, investment, economic diversification, and job creation.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Jamal Hassan, stated that signing the agreement represents “a turning point in Somalia’s economic history,” noting that it will enhance the ability of Somali companies to compete in African markets, alongside supporting industrial development and private sector growth.
The ministry announced that it will begin implementing the agreement by aligning tariff schedules, preparing necessary trade tools, and conducting nationwide awareness programs to qualify traders, exporters, and small and medium-sized enterprises to benefit from the advantages of the agreement.
The African Union launched the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement in 2018, and its commercial application began in 2021, making it the largest free trade area in the world in terms of the number of participating countries.
The agreement aims to enhance intra-African trade by gradually reducing tariffs and other trade barriers, strengthening regional value chains, and accelerating the pace of manufacturing on the continent.
Somalia’s accession to the agreement is part of its efforts to enhance regional economic integration within a broader economic reform program aimed at expanding trade, attracting investments, and strengthening the role of the private sector.
