17 PROTOCOL ON TRADE IN GOODS PREAMBLE We, Member States of the African Union, DESIROUS to implement the Decision of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government during its Eighteenth Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 29th-30th January, 2012 (Assembly/AU/Dec. 394(XVIII) of the Framework, Road Map and Architecture for Fast Tracking the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Action Plan for Boosting Intra-African Trade; COGNISANT of the launch of negotiations for the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area aimed at integrating Africa’s markets in line with the objectives and principles enunciated in the Abuja Treaty during the Twenty-Fifth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 1415 June 2015 (Assembly/AU/Dec. 569(XXV); DETERMINED to take the necessary measures for reducing the cost of doing business and creating a conducive environment for private sector development and thereby boosting intra-African trade; RESOLVED to enhance competitiveness at the industry and enterprise level through exploiting opportunities for economies of scale, continental market access and an efficient allocation of resources; CONFIDENT that a comprehensive Protocol on Trade in Goods will deepen economic efficiency and linkages, improve social welfare, progressively eliminate trade barriers, increase trade and investment with greater opportunities for economies of scale for the businesses of State Parties; COMMITTED to expanding intra-African trade through the harmonisation, coordination of trade liberalisation and implementation of trade facilitation instruments across Africa, and cooperation in the area of quality infrastructure, science and technology, the development and implementation of trade related measures; and RECOGNISING the different levels of development among the State Parties and the need to provide flexibilities, special and differential treatment and technical assistance to State Parties with special needs, HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: