UAE and CAR have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Central African Republic (CAR) have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)

Recently, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed and CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra witnessed the signing of the CEPA between the two nations. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Thani Al Zeyoudi, stated that the CEPA is expected to drive bilateral trade exceeding 3.67 billion dirhams over the next five to seven years. The agreement ensures a high level of trade liberalization, with the UAE eliminating 98% of tariffs on goods from the Central African Republic, while the CAR will remove 99.5% of tariffs on exports from the UAE. This offers significant opportunities for UAE exporters to expand into African markets.

Al Zeyoudi emphasized that the CEPA provides extensive investment opportunities across various service sectors, including telecommunications, hospitality, logistics, fintech, and broader business industries. Additionally, it strengthens trade and investment cooperation in strategic sectors such as aluminum, ceramics, petrochemicals, iron, silver, gold, food, and textiles. Both sides will also prioritize cooperation in future economic areas, particularly in the digital economy and advanced technologies. The agreement will create new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in both countries and facilitate the launch of integrated investment projects in the next phase.