The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) was established on June 10, 2015, by 26

African nations to establish a free trade area that would reduce tariffs and time-
consuming customs procedures between them.
The TFTA would connect three existing regional trading blocks in Southern
and Eastern Africa, with a combined gross domestic product of $1.2 trillion and over
$102 billion in trade between member states.
The existing trading blocks include the East African Community, Southern
African Development Community, and an overlapping Common Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa.
However, the existing patchwork of African trading blocks has made it difficult
to realize the gains from an expanded single market. An African firm selling goods on
the continent faces an average tariff of 8.7%, compared to a 2.5 percent tariff on goods
sold overseas. Other costs of intra-African trade include lengthy customs inspection
stops, excessive bureaucracy, and a lack of adequate physical infrastructure.
The TFTA aims to harmonize rules, reduce tariffs, and streamline customs
procedures, allowing African firms to sell more goods and services to their neighbors,
enabling greater economies of scale and lower costs.
However, some observers argue that the TFTA is too ambitious and that
focusing on improving the three existing regional groups would yield more gains.