Local Consultant/Trade Expert – RITD/ATPC/SRO – EA

• Improved access to trade information for Tanzanian businesses,particularly SMEs, women, and youth traders—through a practical Step-by-Step Guide and updated content of the Trade Information Portal, enabling effective participation in AfCFTA trade;

• Strengthened national implementation of the AfCFTA by supporting Tanzania’s efforts to operationalize the Agreement through private sector engagement and enhanced regulatory transparency.

1. Background The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has been instrumental in supporting African countries throughout the negotiation and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA represents a key milestone in Africa’s regional integration and a catalyst for economic growth, industrialization, and sustainable development—aligned with both the UN 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. To realize the full potential of the AfCFTA, the ratification by all AU Member States and the adoption of robust national implementation strategies are essential. ECA continues to support Member States in these efforts, including through assistance with outstanding negotiations under Phase I (Trade in Goods and Services) and Phase II (Investment, Intellectual Property Rights, Competition Policy, Digital Trade, and Women and Youth in Trade).

The private sector, particularly SMEs as well as women and youth-led businesses, plays a vital role in AfCFTA implementation. However, limited access to trade-related information remains a major barrier to their engagement. To address this, ECA, through its African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC), has developed a methodology for country-specific Step-by-Step Guides for Trading Goods under the AfCFTA. These practical tools outline the regulatory and procedural requirements for imports and exports under the Agreement and serve as key content for Trade Information Portals.

In response to an official request from the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, ECA will recruit a national consultant to support the development of a Step-by-Step Guide for Tanzania, which will also inform the existing Trade Information Portal. This work will be carried out in close coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the Tanzania Shippers Council.

The initiative is funded by the Government of Japan under the project “Boosting Intra-African Trade through Leveraging Digitalization for Effective and Inclusive AfCFTA Implementation,” supported through Japan’s Supplementary Budget for JFY2024. The project aims to foster inclusive AfCFTA implementation by supporting digital tools and knowledge products that empower businesses, especially women-led MSMEs, to trade more effectively under the AfCFTA.

This consultancy aims to develop a Tanzania-specific Step-by-Step Guide for Trading Goods under the AfCFTA to strengthen private sector engagement in cross-border trade. The Guide will clearly outline the regulatory and procedural requirements for trading under the AfCFTA framework and serve to inform the update of the Tanzania’s Trade Information Portal. The technical component of the work will involve supporting selected SMEs mostly those owned by women and youth, whose products are deemed ready for trade under the AfCFTA agreement. This support will guide them step by step through the entire process, from their companies to successfully accessing the African market, ensuring compliance with all necessary requirements.

To produce a theoretical and practical, user-friendly Step-by-Step Guide for Trading Goods under the AfCFTA that outlines Tanzania’s regulatory and procedural requirements, bottlenecks and how to address them for import and export, with the objective of improving both public and private sector awareness and capacity to trade under the AfCFTA, as well as to contribute to the content development of Tanzania’s Trade Information Portal. The consultant will also pilot the guide with selected private producers to assess its practicality and effectiveness in real-world conditions.

The development of the Guide will rely on a triangulated methodology, combining desk research, primary data collection, and illustrative case studies to ensure both accuracy and usability:

Desk research focusing on the AfCFTA Agreement and relevant national frameworks will be conducted. This includes examining Tanzania’s trade related legislation, customs regulations, institutional roles, and the country’s National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy if available.

Information will be gathered from key government trade and trade-related Ministries and agencies and selected businesses representing different sectors in Tanzania through structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and group discussions with key stakeholders. The objective is to capture the actual processes and requirements involved in exporting and importing goods under AfCFTA provisions. To identify key bottlenecks in the process and provide actionable recommendations to effectively address them, with the aim of facilitating trade under the AfCFTA. Case Studies documenting the real-life experiences of selected businesses in priority sectors involved in actual import and export transactions under the AfCFTA will also be included in the Guide. These cases will help illustrate practical challenges and opportunities, making the Guide more relatable and impactful for prospective users. The Guide will follow the structure outlined in the Methodology that will be shared.

The Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC), as well as focal persons from ATPC and the ECA Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA). He/she will work under the direct supervision of an official designated for this purpose by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Chairman of the Tanzania Shippers Council (TSC), and the President of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA).

• Engage with the Ministry, TCCIA, TSC, and other public stakeholders involved under AfCFTA trade (customs, NTBs, ATO focal points) to assess the current state of Tanzania’s trade policy, its level of engagement in the AfCFTA, and the overall business environment; (Conduct field visits to border agencies to document customs clearance procedures for various imports and exports at border points as needed);

• Assess the readiness of the Tanzanian private sector, including their awareness and utilization of trade agreements, particularly the AfCFTA. This includes evaluating the readiness of selected key products, focusing but not limited on agro-industrial goods and SMEs owned by women and youths, to meet AfCFTA rules of origin and applicable standards. Conduct research guided by the established methodology, with support from the Ministry, TSC, and TCCIA

• Select private producers who are ready to trade under the AfCFTA as case studies for the step-by-step guide and assess the guide’s practicality and effectiveness in real-world conditions. In this regard, one of Tanzania’s priority products will be spices, specifically cloves from Zanzibar.

• Analyze Tanzania’s national trade policy, including the National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy (if available), relevant legal and institutional frameworks, and the AfCFTA Agreement (including its Protocols), to inform the development of the Guide;

• Map step-by-step export procedures for cross-border trade of commodities under the AfCFTA, including the export of agricultural products such as coffee, cocoa, fruits, and vegetables, as well as minerals and energy products like gold, oil, and gas;

• Document the application process for the Certificate of Origin (CoO) under the AfCFTA, including the associated costs.

• Collect and integrate information from selected Tanzanian businesses in priority sectors on their experiences with importing and exporting goods. These insights will be anonymized and incorporated as illustrative case studies;

• Develop a comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide, following the proposed structure and integrating national and AfCFTA-specific procedures; present the draft Guide at a stakeholder validation workshop organized in collaboration with the Ministry , TSC, and TCCIA;

• Revise the Guide based on comments and suggestions from ECA, the Ministry, TCCIA, and validation workshop participants;

• Submit the final approved version of the Guide to ECA, the Ministry, TSC, and TCCIA. Where necessary, review and support translation into other official languages to ensure accuracy and consistency;.

• Participate in regular meetings with all team members to discuss progress, address challenges, and agree on priorities;

• Prepare detailed reports summarizing field visits findings, procedural mappings, and recommendations for government and development partners.

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, international trade law, political economy or related area is required. A first level university degree in a combination of additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.

– A minimum of seven years of experience in trade-related research and/or analysis is required.

– Expert knowledge of the AfCFTA, Tanzania’s trade, Tanzania private sector, AfCFTA trade rules for trade in goods, economic policies, strategies, and priorities as well as demonstrated experience working in Tanzania and familiarity with its institutional context are required.

– Experience in conducting and publishing interdisciplinary research in policy, economics and/or legal aspects of trade-led integration in Africa is highly desirable.

– Reporting skills and experience are also desirable.

– Demonstrated knowledge and skills in methodology development, data collection, analysis and data management both qualitative and quantitative.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.