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SADC


African leaders resolve to harmonize regional blocs
The leaders mandated Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki to convene a joint summit of COMESA, the South Africa Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) to discuss the harmonization of the cross-border trading system.
Namibia: ’Half cooked’ opinion piece upsets meat industry
An opinion piece by Meatco’s market researcher and trade advisor about the on-going Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations between the European Union and SADC had the meat industry crying foul last week and saying such views could throw the industry into jeopardy.
Trade bloc ’must reap benefits of EU funds’
A split among Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries that were also members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries would be detrimental to the region when the European Development Fund decided by year end to roll out development funds for the SADC region, said Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma yesterday.
EPA scoreboard: EU 1, SADC-EPA 0
On 4 April, 2007 the European Union announced through a press release that it would offer full market access to the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries under the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations. Before a hype of euphoria sets in, be reminded that the devil resides in the details.
Moroka off for EPA talks
Botswana’s Ministry of Trade and Industry has announced that the Minister, Neo Moroka, leaves for South Africa today for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade talks.
Namibia: ’Forget EU offer’ - expert
Market researcher at Meatco, Wallie Roux, yesterday criticized the European Union’s haste to have the Southern African Development Community-Economic Partnership Agreement (SADC-EPA) signed by the end of the year. "This is the biggest successful public relations stunt pulled by the EU," he observed.
Govt seeks to amend Botswana trade agreement
Zimbabwe which is fast losing its market niche in the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) is seeking amendments to the Bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (BPTA of 1988) with Botswana in a bid to access markets in the neighbouring nation.
Calls for removal of regional trade barriers
Civil society organisations and the business community in southern Africa have called for review of trade policies in order to deepen regional integration.
Textile jobs face threat
Trouble. Government has failed to seal a textile tax-free export extension deal with the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) which now means over 6,000 jobs in the textile industry in the country face uncertain future, Economic Report can reveal.
EU wants Dar to decide under which regional bloc it will negotiate EPAs
Tanzania has failed to register any significant progress in negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union for the past 13 months.
Southern Africa: SADC FTA ’a reality next year’
As southern African countries swiftly move towards deeper regional economic integration, N$1,4 billion has been made available by the European Union to support regional economic integration of the sub-continent.
Private sector body formed on EU-SADC negotiations
An independent private sector body calling itself the Business Trade Forum EU Southern Africa (BTFES) has been inaugurated with the aim of establishing dialogue between business communities and the political leaders in the EU and SADC.
Southern Africa: Spotlight on economic integration as SADC ministers meet
The spotlight falls on the march towards an integrated southern African economic community as ministers from the region meet in Lesotho on 22-23 March to discuss the budget for current financial year and regional projects.
Southern Africa: SADC sets deadline for zero tarrif rates introduction
SADC has set 2008 as the deadline for the introduction of zero tariff rates in accordance with the minimum conditions of a Free Trade Area (FTA).
The EU welcomes South Africa in the SADC EPA negotiation
The EU Council of Ministers has decided to include South Africa in the SADC EPA negotiation.
Namibia: Beef deadline looms
The deadline is looming for the day when the preferential treatment that Namibia has enjoyed for its beef, lamb and table grape exports to the European Union ends on January 1 2008.
SA, EU hope to finalise partnership action plan during German presidency
Despite the unpopularity of the single-country partnership proposal, it is being pursued primarily based on Europe’s analysis of South Africa as the “locomotive” of Africa economic development and integration.
EU tactics over African trade are ’bribery’, say aid groups
The European Union is insisting that some of Africa’s poorest countries accept liberalisation of services, investment and competition policy as the price of better access to the world’s richest market, it emerged last night.
Adhesion to SADC free trade zone postponed
Angola is not yet prepared to join the free trade zone in the year 2008, under the process of regional integration of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), said Tuesday in Luanda the Planning minister, Ana Dias Lourenço.
Southern African bloc reviews ambitious free-trade plans
Leaders of a 14-nation southern African bloc reviewed ambitious plans for a free-trade zone and common currency as it moved a step closer towards streamlining investment norms.