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: Product Entry into the US Market - Why some goods are refused

19 March 2012

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The exporter's expectation is to see his consignment arrive in the destination country on time, safely and to get paid within the contractual terms. However, some products are refused entry at the ports of entry resulting in delays, demurrage charges, re-exporting costs, possible damage to products, loss of business and, in some cases, legal proceedings.

This Export Digest presents the chief reasons why some goods are refused entry into the US. Exporters should be aware of these reasons and avoid or address them to prevent loss of export revenue.

Views: 2314

Press Release: Trade Hub Supports Review of Trading Environment in Lesotho

Press Release: Trade Hub Supports Review of Trading Environment in Lesotho

12 March 2012
Trade Liberalization | Enabling Environment | Agricultural Value Chains | Investment | Trade Facilitation

In order to access further support from the US$250 million Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Aid for Trade fund and increase its participation in global trade, Lesotho has requested the USAID Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH) to update its Diagnostic Trade 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.

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Export Digest - Launch Issue

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.

Views: 3105

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.

Views: 1713

Trade and Food Security in SADC

Trade and Food Security in SADC

31 December 2011
Trade Liberalization | Enabling Environment | Agricultural Value Chains | Soy

Food security policy is necessarily multi-dimensional and in the long run it is inseparable from the fight against poverty. Governments in SADC and elsewhere have attempted to use controls on imports and exports to improve food security through their impacts on food prices and availability in the domestic market.

Are such policies helpful in solving the genuine and pressing problems of food security in the region?

This report examines recent global and regional experience to draw some lessons about the impacts on food security of domestic trade policies as they have been used in the region.

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Regulatory Environment for Animal Feeds in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana

Regulatory Environment for Animal Feeds in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana

30 November 2011
Trade Liberalization | Agricultural Value Chains | Soy

This report comprises an analysis of the regulatory environment in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe as it pertains specifically to animal feeds.

The report identifies specific animal feed legislation, regulations and standards in the six countries, the agency responsible for enforcement of the regulations and details on any Good Manufacturing Practice legislation that is in place.

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Trade Hub 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.

Views: 1605

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

Views: 1862

Integrated Border Management – Border Operations Assessment Kasumbalesa

Integrated Border Management – Border Operations Assessment Kasumbalesa

31 October 2011
Trade Liberalization | Trade Facilitation | Coordinated Border Management

The high cost of exporting and importing goods to, from and within Southern Africa discourages international trade, makes commerce and industry less competitive and contributes to food insecurity. Some of the main contributors to the high cost of trade are delays at the border posts. The main aim of the IBM program is to reduce the time goods take to cross borders and therefore reduce the cost of trade. As one of the initial steps in the implementation of the IBM, a team from SATH conducted a border operations assessment (BOA) at Kasumbalesa border which lies along the Dar es Salaam Corridor from 10 -14 October 2011.

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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
Trade Liberalization | Trade Facilitation

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.

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