I.A.M - Magazine - Page 44
Elias Magosi
Executive Secretary
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
To date, intra-regional trade stands at a low of about 23%, signifying that, as SADC
Member States, we are trading more with the rest of the world than we do amongst
ourselves. One of the culprits driving these low levels of intra-regional trade is the usual
non-tariff barriers. Despite zero import duty on 85% of products traded among SADC
Member States, intra-SADC importers and exporters continue to encounter new and
long-standing unresolved non-tariff barriers. It is therefore imperative to re-dedicate our
collective efforts to implement measures to reduce these barriers and promote
intra-regional cooperation and integration.
(Remarks at the opening ceremony of the 44th SADC summit)
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