The inception of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) constitutes a major advancement in Africa's economic integration process. Diverging from what appears to be the norm in contemporary trade treaties, the agreement adopts a conditional Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause hinged on the principle of reciprocity. Without the promise to reciprocate preferential treatment, the beneficiary state does not assume the right to demand MFN treatment. In broader discussions, this feature has been criticized for possessing the tendency to restrict trade. However, examining it in the context of Africa's trade paradigm, this paper argues that the non-automaticity of the AfCFTA's MFN clause is a cardinal feature safeguarding its existence.

非洲大陆自由贸易协定（AfCFTA）的启动是非洲经济一体化进程的重大进展。与当代贸易条约中的惯例不同，该协议采用了基于互惠原则的有条件最惠国（MFN）条款。如果不承诺给予互惠优惠待遇，受惠国就无权要求最惠国待遇。在更广泛的讨论中，这一功能被批评为具有限制贸易的倾向。然而，在非洲贸易范式的背景下进行考察时，本文认为，非洲大陆自由贸易区最惠国条款的非自动性是保障其存在的一个基本特征。