Italian African Trade Facilitation Program

The Program

After years of presence on African markets and cooperating with the main African institutions, our association UNIAFRICA and our partner group ETC have launched a brand new program ta brand new program "Italian African Trade Facilitation Program - IATFP".

The IATFP brings together a group of banks and other financial institutions to harmonize compliance and facilitate access to credit for SMEs by providing financial services in support of trade (import/export) and investment projects in Africa.

Main program areas

  • Harmonisation of compliance procedures

  • Facilitation of correspondent banking activities with african banks

  • Support in Import, Export, Tender and Foreign Agreements operations

  • Use of ETC’s SWIFT (african network) RMA

  • Trade finance programs assistance

  • Assistance in internationalisation services, research and due diligence for african markets and counterparties

  • Cooperation with multilateral institutions

Who is the program for?

  1. PanAfrican Entities

  • Multilateral Funds (FAGACE)

  • Business Law (OHADA)

  • Develpment / Multilateral banks and Financial Institutions (IFC, AfDB, BDEAC, EADB, BOAD, BADEA, Afreximbank, et cetera)

  • Audit companies (Mazars, et cetera)


  1. Commercial bank in both Italian-African Markets

  • Issuing / Confirming banks

  • Collecting / Presenting / Remitting banks

  • Clearing banks

  1. Italian Entities

  • ICE

  • Cassa Depositi e Prestiti

  • SACE - SIMEST

  • Finest


  1. Marketplace

  • Free Zones (Trieste + multi-country network)

  • Industrial Districts

  • Commercial Platforms

  1. Facilitators

  • Correspondent Banking /Commercial Agent (ETC)

  • Business Intelligence and Transaction Banking Specialist

How can Banks participate in the IATFP?

  1. Adhere to Uniafrica IATFP Committee

  2. Identification of the internal representative in order to:

  • Build a direct relation with ETC

  • Inform the bank’s specialists network (and its respective customers), about the agreement, the operational support and the business opportunities arising from the African market

  1. Assessment and evaluation of business opportunities:

  • Generated/presented by ETC and involving clients of the bank

  • Generated/presented by bank’s clients or third parties with the request to involve ETC in the transaction process

  1. Direct collaboration with ETC in case of business opportunities in the African market generated by the bank’s clients


Italian Office

Galleria Ezzellino, 5 35137

Padua - Italy

African Office

LOT 65 A, Guinkomey,

Cotonou – Benin