Andre Klynsmith

Supply Chain Management

Zero Duty, Blocked at the Border: The AfCFTA Problem a Tariff Schedule Does Not Solve

African exporters can qualify for preferential tariffs under the AfCFTA and still have their goods refused entry, because the destination market's product standards, labelling rules and certification requirements are a separate gate from the duty schedule.

Supply Chain Management

14 September 2026 • 3 min read

Tariff reduction has dominated the AfCFTA conversation. Conformity assessment has not — and it is the one that stops a container at the border. For freight forwarders, this is a planning problem that belongs upstream of the booking, not a clearing problem to be solved at destination.

Two Different Gates

Johan Eksteen, SGS Sub-Saharan Africa business manager for connectivity and products, told Freight News that the focus on tariff reductions has overshadowed the technical barriers businesses meet when moving products between African countries. "While much of the discussion has focused on tariff reductions and trade facilitation, successful cross-border trade depends equally on regulatory compliance, product quality and conformity assessment," he said.

The distinction matters operationally. Preferential access answers the question of what duty is payable. It does not answer whether the product may lawfully be sold in the destination market at all. "Every target market has specific regulatory requirements, safety standards, labelling obligations and product quality expectations that must be met before goods can enter the country," Eksteen said.

Where Consignments Actually Fail

In practice, companies encounter different national product standards, different labelling requirements and country-specific certification schemes. Testing requirements may also differ between markets, and exporters do not always fully understand the applicable rules of origin or market-entry conditions. A product freely sold in one African country may require further testing, inspection or certification before it can be sold in the next.

The cost profile is what should interest logistics operators. If these requirements surface only after the goods have shipped, the outcome is border delay and additional cost — demurrage, storage, re-testing, re-labelling, and in the worst case a consignment that cannot be sold where it was sent. None of that is recoverable from a tariff saving.

Harmonisation Is the Fix, But It Is Not Here Yet

Eksteen argued that greater harmonisation of standards and mutual recognition of conformity-assessment results will be essential to realising the AfCFTA's benefits. Mutual recognition would let participating countries accept testing or certification completed elsewhere, removing the need to repeat the process market by market. SGS reports rising interest from manufacturers, importers, retailers and distributors expanding across African markets, and expects e-commerce to widen that demand further.

Until that recognition exists, the burden sits with the exporter and, by extension, with whoever arranged the movement. More integrated manufacturing and distribution networks will require a consistent compliance approach across several markets rather than treating each country in isolation — which is a supply chain design decision, not a documentation task.

About the Author
	Andre Klynsmith Entrepreneur & Technology Enthusiast Andre's expertise spans technology, blockchain, transport, and logistics — with a passion for innovation and driving positive change across industries. info@laaimylorrie.com | laaimylorrie.com