Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and the Republic of the Congo have signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) designed to facilitate trade between the three countries by aligning standards and mutually recognising each other’s product certification systems.

The agreement was signed on Friday, March 6, at the conclusion of a three-day meeting of the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) Technical Committee 53, which focused on the standardization of textiles, textile products, and accessories.

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The signing ceremony, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was signed by Raymond Murenzi, Director General of the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) on behalf of Rwanda and his counterparts from Zimbabwe and the Republic of the Congo.

The agreements are expected to strengthen cooperation in standardisation, metrology, and conformity assessment, enabling products tested and certified in one country to be accepted in the others without undergoing repeated testing.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Murenzi said the agreement opens new opportunities for businesses across the three countries while supporting the broader goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

"This builds a wave of business communities in the same countries to trade together as the AfCFTA mutual recognition agreements we are endorsing and prioritising the operationalisation of the trade facilitation ecosystem,” he said.

He added that the agreement supports the continental vision of "one standard, one test, one certificate accepted everywhere in Africa.”

Cosmus Mukoyi, Director General of the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, said the agreement complements existing trade relations between Rwanda and Zimbabwe and is expected to expand market access.

"Once a Rwandan product comes with a standard mark from Rwanda, we will not test it again when it enters Zimbabwe. This will facilitate the smooth movement of goods between our two countries,” Mukoyi added.

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He noted that mutual recognition of standards and certification processes will reduce technical barriers to trade and make it easier for businesses to export products between Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and the Republic of the Congo.

According to Mukoyi, trade between Rwanda and Zimbabwe is currently dominated by electrical products. He added that both countries are looking to strengthen cooperation in manufacturing, which remains one of the priority sectors.

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While various frameworks have been established to facilitate trade across the continent, he said Africa must also increase its capacity to produce goods locally.

"At the outset, the market cannot succeed if we are still consuming what is coming from outside Africa. That is why intra-African trade is still very low,” he said.

Sebahizi added that harmonized standards will play a critical role in strengthening trust in African products.

"Mutual recognition is very important, and also agreeing on the same quality standards across the board is essential, so that whatever is produced in Africa satisfies the same requirements of quality,” he said.

"Once it is produced in Africa and has gone through that process, there will be no need to ask whether it meets the required standards.”

Officials at the ceremony emphasized the agreement’s contribution to support efforts to reduce trade barriers and promote smoother movement of goods across African markets under the AfCFTA framework.