Madagascar - Country Commercial Guide
Trade Agreements
Last published date: 2021-10-17

Madagascar has ratified the following regional and international agreements: 

Click https://www.diplomatie.gov.mg/index.php?categorie8/integration-regionale for further details

1964:  United Nations Convention on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 

1992:  IOC – Indian Ocean Committee:  Since 1998, there are no tariffs on goods originating from the IOC countries.  It is an inter-governmental organization uniting some countries of the Indian Ocean, created in 1984 by the Victoria Agreement.  The Comoros, France (La Réunion), Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles are member countries of the IOC. 

1993:  COMESA – Free Trade Area since 2000.  It is a 19-member regional organization for East Africa.  

1995:  World Trade Organization (WTO)  

2000:  Cotonou Agreement.

2005: SADC – Madagascar became a member of SADC in 2005 but the trade agreement came into force in 2008.  SADC offers numerous commercial advantages including access to a market of more than 200 million consumers and preferential tariff treatment amongst members.

2009: APEi – Interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union.  The cooperation agreement between the European Union and African, Caribbean, and Pacific Ocean countries, has been in existence for over half a century.

2014:  China – Two commercial and technical cooperation agreements provide Special Preferential Tariff (SPT) treatment for items exported under these agreements.

2014:  AGOA – The U.S. government restored Madagascar’s AGOA eligibility in December 2014 after a five-year gap.  Nearly 7000 items are eligible for exemption from import duties when exported from eligible African countries to the U.S. market.

1968: GSP – Madagascar among the developing countries benefiting from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for a wider range of products, as well as greater tariff reductions. Several countries have granted Madagascar GSP privileges including the United States and India.