Discord could derail trade agreement

The freight industry has welcomed the firstof- its-kind global trade agreement –signed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) – as a “big step towards trade facilitation and removal of non-tariff trade barriers”. It admits, however, that getting African countries to sing from the same song sheet will be one of the biggest challenges to reaping the benefits. “This agreement could boost Africa’s global trade prospects and stimulate intra-trade within the region – provided all parties work together and have the same end-goal in sight,” said customs consultant, David Liebenberg. Joseph Murariri, president of the Zimbabwebased Forwarding and Clearing Association of Southern Africa (FCASA), told FTW that the agreement would go a long way towards pushing the association’s own agenda of harmonised customs standards and regulations for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. He agreed with Liebenberg, however, that this hinged on closer collaboration between the member states’ governments and private sector. “Freight businesses need to become less internally focused on growth and change their mindset to collective growth,” he said. The WTO adopted the global Trade Facilitation Agreement late last month in a deal that introduces new standards for customs checks and border procedures. INSERT & CAPTION It does not help the supply chain if Sars is moving at 120 kilometres per hour and other countries and governments are moving at 60 km/h. – David Liebenberg