Trade Liberalization

Over the past decade, SADC Member States have achieved significant reductions in tariff barriers within the region. By 2012, essentially all intra-SADC trade will be duty free. Moving forward, in addition to consolidating the gains of the FTA, SADC is embarked on an increasingly ambitious agenda which includes the establishment of the Tripartite FTA, a SADC Customs Union and eventually a SADC Common Market. SATH advisors will work to support SADC across these initiatives.

We will be working specifically in three sub-areas:

  1. Effective Implementation of the FTA
  2. Successful Implementation of the Tripartite Summit Agreement
  3. Increased Capacity of Member States to Engage in Trade Negotiations and Implement Trade Agreements
     

Export Digest

14 February 2012

hh4Cognizant of the export potential that Southern Africa has, the interest exhibited by businesses in taking advantage of the U.S. and other export markets and noting severe information gaps, SATH is launching a monthly column that will inform and talk exports; talk international trade; talk the language understood by firms that have a multi-market focus.

Lesotho DTIS Update

14 February 2012

hh2SATH continues to carry out an Update of the Lesotho Diagnostic Trade and Integration Study (DTIS). A DTIS evaluates internal and external constraints on a country's integration into the world economy, and recommends areas where technical assistance and policy actions can help the country overcome these barriers. During the months of January/February, a SATH team is undertaking the main fact finding mission to Maseru, Lesotho to gather information for the update. As part of the mission the team is meeting key private and public sector stakeholders involved in the trade and industry agenda, carrying out a survey of clearance agent and completing extensive regional level consultation stakeholder consultation.

SATH Supports Tanzania National Trade Policy Review

16 November 2011

The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is currently revising its 2003 National Trade Policy. In an effort to conduct an inclusive consultative process, as a key component of the review, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) of Tanzania requested the Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH) to assist in the facilitation of consultations with the private sector. These public-private sector consultations were held on 10 and 11 November 2011 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A total of twenty-four private sector stakeholders attended the workshop.

Read more & download the presentations here.

Launch of Diagnostic Trade Integration Study in Lesotho

15 November 2011

Over the next eight months SATH will carry out an update of the Lesotho Diagnostic Trade and Integration Study (DTIS) at the request of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing. A DTIS evaluates internal and external constraints on a country's integration into the world economy, and recommends areas where technical assistance and policy actions can help the country overcome these barriers.DiagnosticTradeIntegration

2011 Audit of the Implementation of Regional SADC Customs Instruments and International Conventions

2011 Audit of the Implementation of Regional SADC Customs Instruments and International Conventions

31 October 2011

The Audit was conducted to assess the status of the SADC Customs Administrations in implementing the various regional and international customs conventions/instruments. The purpose is to identify the areas that require harmonization and standardization of customs procedures to achieve regional integration. It aims to get feedback from Member States on implementation progress, their views, challenges, and the way forward.

The report shows the status of the Member States as of April 2011. A questionnaire was sent to 14 Member States. Thirteen gave feedback on the questionnaire, while Seychelles requested to participate in future audits due to ongoing reforms. The findings are presented in the form of tables and charts to show the number of Member States implementing the various instruments, forms and procedures.

SATH and Trade Mark Southern Africa Partner on NTB Training & Sensitization in Botswana

10 October 2011

octpic6ntbsFacilitating deeper discussion on the impact of non-tariff barriers (NTBs), internal as well as cross-border, on intra-SADC trade was the subject of two workshops held in Gaborone and Francistown, this month. The workshops, co-funded by the USAID Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH) and Trade Mark Southern Africa (TMSA), were requested by the Government of Botswana, through the Ministry of Trade & Industry.

2011 Audit of the Implementation of the SADC Protocol on Trade

2011 Audit of the Implementation of the SADC Protocol on Trade

30 September 2011

The 2011 Audit of the Implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Trade is the fifth such audit carried out by the United States (US) Agency for International Development (USAID) Southern Africa Trade Hub. While the 2007 audit was comprehensive, the following audits have been updates on the 2007 study with each update focusing on different issues selected by the SADC Secretariat.

For the 2011 Audit, the SADC Secretariat requested that the Trade Hub focus on three areas: 1. Implementation of the 2011 Tariff Phase Downs; 2. Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs; and 3. Third Party Preferential Trade Agreements.

SATH Assists in DRC Accession to the SADC Protocol on Trade

14 September 2011

hh_sept_4The SADC Protocol on Trade provided for the attainment of a Free Trade Area (FTA) in 2008 through the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to trade. Of the 15 SADC Member States, 12 are currently participating in the FTA with Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the Seychelles yet to accede to the SADC Protocol on Trade.

SADC SPS Coordinating Committee Launched in Gaborone

14 September 2011

From July 21-22, SATH supported SADC in the launch of the SADC Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Coordinating Committee during a workshop in Gaborone, Botswana.

SATH Reviews the Implementation of the Swaziland Investor Roadmap

14 September 2011

hh_sept_2In 2005, SATH in collaboration with Swaziland Investment Promotion Agency (SIPA), developed an Investor Roadmap for Swaziland. The roadmap detailed the administrative, procedural and regulatory barriers that may hinder investment into Swaziland. A number of recommendations were provided in the Roadmap in order to guide the reform process and the Roadmap was followed up by an audit on the implementation status in September 2009.