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SADC free trade process to begin in August

    JOHANNESBURG

    Implementation of the commercial protocol to establish a free trade zone in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) should begin in August, according to Mozambican trade and industry minister Carlos Morgado. Sapa news agency reported on Tuesday that Morgado made the announcement on the sidelines of yet another negotiating round on the application of the protocol. The talks were attended by his 13 SADC counterpart ministers, the report said.

    According to the report, the ministers met to ensure that the protocol’s application would be made on a “real and practical basis”, so that it could be launched within the set deadlines “which should be no later than 7 August”, said Morgado. He specified that the Mozambican government had already approved the application of the protocol and various amendments, and had informed the SADC that it would be ready to begin the process on 1 August. The SADC commercial protocol anticipates free circulation of goods via the elimination of customs duties among member-countries within eight years’ time. It was signed in August 1996 and followed by negotiations on tariffs, some details of which are still under discussion.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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