09/01/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 4 and Friday 6 January respectively Ghana and Mozambique submitted their instruments of acceptance of the WTO trade facilitation agreement (TFA), taking to 105 the number of member countries that have ratified the agreement concluded at the 9th WTO ministerial conference in December 2013. The TFA contains a body of rules to simplify and ease customs procedures and to increase participation of developing countries in world trade. Five further ratifications are now required to bring the TFA into force. When fully implemented, the TFA could reduce trade costs by 14.3%, and increase global merchandise exports by $1 trillion per year with developing countries being the biggest winners. (EH)