The COMESA Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO) is one of the tools developed under the COMESA Digital Free Trade Area (DFTA) initiative, aimed at replacing the current paper-based and manually-released certificates of origin being used by COMESA importers for preferential trade within the COMESA Free Trade Area, with electronic certificates that will simplify their issuing, circulation, and verification processes, that are quite burdensome in all COMESA countries. The certificate of origin is like a passport for goods that proves that the product is originating from a certain country. Such certificates are the precondition for accessing to preferential customs duties rates when imported in another country which is member of the same Free Trade Area to which the country where goods are originating is part.

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Due to the spread of COVID-19 at global level, global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows are predicted to decline up to 40% in 2020, with a further 5% to 10% reduction in 2021. A recovery is expected only in 2022, led by global value chains (GVCs) restructuring for resilience, replenishment of capital stock and the expected world economy rebound once the crisis will end. Developing economies are expected to see the biggest fall in FDIs because they rely more on investment in GVC-intensive and extractive industries, which have been severely hit, and because of their limited capacity of putting in place the same economic support measures that have been adopted by developed economies. Anyway, all will depend on the duration of the health crisis and on the effectiveness of policies aimed at mitigating the pandemic’s economic effects.

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