South Africa
South Africa signed an important FTA with the European Union back in 1999. That deal not only had lasting impacts on South Africa itself, but it set the stage for a stronger drive from the EU (and from EFTA) to get African nations to sign on to deeper liberalisation of trade and investment policies in the following decade, especially through the EU-ACP EPA negotiating process.
South Africa is member of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) which has been negotiating an FTA with the US since many years. In 2006, SACU signed an FTA with Mercosur. In 2007, they sealed a deal with EFTA.
On its own, South Africa has a bilateral FTA with SADC (Southern Africa Development Cooperation). It also has preferential agreements with Malawi, Zimbabwe and Croatia plus a non-reciprocal trade arrangement with Mozambique. At present, it is considering further bilateral deals with Kenya, Nigeria, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and India. In late 2011, it rejected a proposal from Turkey for an FTA claiming this would bring about destructive competition which would undermine South Africa’s industrial and employment objectives.
South Africa is also part of IBSA, the India-Brazil-SA triangle that is hoping to forge a trilateral South-South FTA.
last update: May 2012
Articles
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10-Sep-2012 SADC free trade agreement coming soon: Davies
An agreement to lower barriers to trade and improve cross-border commerce in the SADC should be implemented this year, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies says. -
2-Aug-2012 Sapa SA to stay away from bilateral treaties: Davies
South Africa will avoid entering into bilateral investment treaties (BITs) in future, except where there are compelling economic and political circumstances, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said on Thursday. -
7-Mar-2012 Davies says intra-African trade is key to SA growth
Strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations with African countries was a key trade and economic strategy for South Africa, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies told the sixth Africa Economic Forum in Cape Town this week. -
10-Nov-2011 Business Day SA rejects Turkey’s proposal for a free trade agreement
South Africa has rejected Turkey’s proposal for a free trade agreement between the two countries saying that this would encourage "destructive competition that will undermine our industrial and employment objectives". -
5-Nov-2011 Tough talk over industrialisation expected for FTA - Davies
As South Africa moves to bolster industrialisation efforts within its own borders, the planned roll out of a giant free trade area across Africa may hit a snag when it comes to negotiating about trade in manufactured goods between member countries, the Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies said yesterday. -
20-Oct-2011 FM SA and the EU trade negotiations - A step closer
In negotiations to forge an economic partnership agreement (EPA), the EU has agreed to improve market access for about 80% of the agricultural products South Africa has asked to be accepted. However, the EU has yet to budge on wine, sugar and starch. -
16-Jun-2011 Tax-News.com US, South Africa relaunch bilateral TIFA
The Deputy US Trade Representative, Demetrios Marantis, has co-chaired a recent meeting with the SA Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies, of the US-South Africa Trade and Investment Council (TIFA Council), at which there was a re-launched discussion of a full range of trade issues. -
28-Mar-2011 Times Live Doha failure could spark regionalism
South Africa is considering bilateral trade agreements with Japan, Turkey and New Zealand, but a preferential trade agreement with India, currently under negotiation, is enjoying priority, said Brendan Vickers, a chief director at the department of trade and industry. -
16-Jan-2011 Times Live Farmers lobby for improved access to EU
South African agricultural groups are lobbying to rectify the highly skewed trade relationship with the European Union, looking for improved market access for a number of products including wine, sugar and canned fruit. -
17-Sep-2010 The Times Black business battling to tap agreements
South Africa’s black business people are battling to benefit from the numerous bilateral agreements the country has entered into, National Empowerment Fund CEO Philisiwe Buthulezi said on Thursday -
23-Aug-2010 Zuma’s visit to feature SA-China trade deals
South African President Jacob Zuma will lead a State visit to China this week in a bid to strengthen political, economic and trade relations with the world’s second-largest economy and South Africa’s largest trading partner. -
18-Aug-2010 India, SA trade agreement on track
India’s government hopes to “wrap up very quickly” negotiations around a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Africa. -
7-Jul-2010 Business Day South Africa: Free-trade agreement with China not on cards
SA will not pursue a conventional free-trade agreement with China as this is not in the interests of the country, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies says. -
6-May-2010 BusinessDay Call for MPs to have say in foreign trade deals
Parliament’s trade and industry committee wants South African MPs to play a greater role in negotiating international agreements and has urged that the legislative framework and rules for dealing with them be reviewed. -
12-Apr-2010 Daily Dispatch Congo trade agreement creates opportunities for SA
President Jacob Zuma and the Republic of Congo’s President Denis Sassou-Nguesso signed a bilateral trade agreement in Pretoria on Thursday. In a statement released after their meeting, Zuma welcomed the long-term land lease agreement of over 200000 hectares of idle farmland to a consortium of South African farmers. -
19-Jan-2010 SA to focus on trade as global crisis recedes
SA is likely to focus on stimulating targeted sectors of the economy and firming up trade relations with key partners in Africa, Europe and the east this year, as growing global trade flows are expected to reflect a world emerging from recession. -
22-Dec-2009 Business Day South Africa: Fisheries pact with EU has to wait
The conclusion of a fisheries agreement between SA and the European Union has had to take second place to other considerations, even though SA’s fish exports to the EU are attracting duties that some other countries’ are not. -
27-Nov-2009 Times Live Farmers protected from Zimbabwe deal
South African farmers in Zimbabwe will not forfeit their land or investments as a result of a bilateral agreement still to be signed, a Pretoria judge ordered. -
26-Oct-2009 Free trade versus tariffs
The debate over the future trajectory of South Africa’s economic policy is about much more than the powers of Trevor Manuel and the planning ministry. -
11-Sep-2009 Reuters S.Africa, EU sign trade deal, to bridge Doha gaps
South Africa and the European Union on Friday signed an amended trade, development and co-operation agreement and also pledged to intensify work to bridge gaps preventing conclusion of Doha trade talks.
