By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Somalia, Aug. 6 2026 – Somalia's cabinet on Thursday approved a draft rules of origin bill to establish a legal framework for certifying where the goods come, as the country works to align its trade laws with regional and continental markets, the government said.
The draft legislation, submitted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, was approved during the cabinet's weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said the bill sets out the legal criteria for determining the origin of agricultural, livestock, fisheries, mining and manufactured products produced in Somalia.
According to the ministry, the legislation would provide the legal basis for issuing certificates of origin for Somali products, documents used to certify where goods were produced and to determine eligibility for preferential tariff treatment under regional and free trade agreements.
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The ministry said the framework is intended to facilitate trade by enabling Somali exporters to access markets covered by the East African Community (EAC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), both of which require goods to satisfy agreed rules of origin to qualify for preferential treatment.
The bill would also establish standards for issuing certificates of origin and provide a legal framework for verifying the origin of locally produced goods, according to the ministry.
The draft legislation must still be approved by Somalia's parliament before it can become law.