ICC slams SA’s resistance to trade agreement

The International Chamber
of Commerce (ICC) has hit
out at the SA government for
resisting signing the Trade
Facilitation Agreement
(TFA) – a deal designed to
offer financial and technical
support in streamlining
cross-border
movement of
trade.
This
confirms a
statement
from an FTW
source in last
week’s article
about the TFA
which also
pointed out the
government’s recalcitrance.
Pat Corbin, ICC director,
told FTW: “Regrettably, SA
will not be eligible to attend
this month’s International
Forum for National Trade
Facilitation Committees
meeting in Geneva.”
This, he added, focused on
Africa – the main target and
beneficiary of the agreement,
particularly due to its
distance from major world
markets and its “frustrating
deficiencies”.
The reason for the ICC’s
dissatisfaction, according to
Corbin, is because “despite
representation
at the highest
level, we have
not yet found
a way to
engage with
government
to form a joint
committee.
“Our
customs
authority and
the department of trade &
industry advised that they
did not feel obligated, in
terms of the wording of the
agreement, to participate in
such a committee.”
With only four signatures
required to achieve the twothirds
majority of WTO
members, the agreement is
expected to come into play
shortly.
But despite the
TFA’s specific
focus on Africa,
40 of the
present 59
outstanding
members of the
WTO are from
the continent,
including SA.
They, suggested Corbin,
would have to be “dragged
screaming” into the
agreement, a deal that the
rest of the world has warmly
welcomed for the benefits
it offers – especially
significant cost- and
time-savings in the
movement of trade
goods.
INSERT & CAPTION
The agreement is
expected to come
into play shortly.
– Pat Corbin