Rules of origin (RoO) represent an important chapter of preferential trade agreements (PTAs). They aim at preventing the entry in the PTA of products originating from third countries through the partner that applies the lowest tariff, for being subsequently circulated in the entire PTA duty-free (a phenomenon known as ‘trade deflection’). However, also unilateral trade arrangements have their own RoO. The Generalized Systems of Preferences (GSPs) or the US AGOA programme for instance, are preferential trade arrangements adopted unilaterally by some industrialized countries to offer mark access (without reciprocity) to developing and less developed countries from selected countries. A new paper published by FERDI (Fondation pour les Études et Recherches sur le Développement International) shows that the adoption of more flexible product-specific rules of origin within preferential agreements would give a significant boost to global trade.

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A paper published in the last edition of the African Human Rights Yearbook edited by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) raises an interesting issue, concerning the lack of social clauses in the AfCFTA framework to protect labour standards and the rights of workers for the new jobs that will be hopefully created by the trade liberalisation process triggered by the AfCFTA. This exposes such workers at further risk of job loss (for unlawful dismissal) and exploitation. If, on one hand, extensive research has been conducted so far to estimate the potential job creation effects arising from the implementation of the AfCFTA, studies aimed at analyzing the quality of jobs that will be generated are very limited. There is a risk that these workers will not be guaranteed with decent working conditions, the paper warns, and that the liberalisation of trade that the AfCFTA will stimulate will undermine the quality of employment, leading to lower wages, less job security, health and safety problems, longer working hours and increased workloads.

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