South Africa's trade, industry and competition department would next week launch a mechanism to monitor barriers to exports, it said on Friday.
In a statement, the department said the mechanism would offer companies a single channel through which they could report and receive assistance in resolving the trade restrictions they encountered.
The facility will be open to all companies and can help with barriers encountered locally, in addition to foreign markets, according to Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Fikile Majola.
“While the (mechanism) is open to receive barriers encountered in all markets, it will have a particular focus on smoothing trade with the rest of Africa," he said.
"The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers unprecedented opportunities on the continent, and building a conducive environment for the movement of goods in the region is key to unlocking the potential of the agreement."
African leaders last year finally launched the AfCFTA, seven years after the concept was first agreed. The pact covers a market of more than 1.2 billion people in 55 countries with a combined gross domestic product of more than US$3.2 trillion and will, if successful, be the world’s largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organization.
On Friday, Majola said the export barriers monitoring mechanism would form part of a comprehensive programme of work to address non-tariff barriers stifling regional trade.
Next week's launch will feature an overview of the mechanism and how to make use of the system, details of special support for firms looking to trade with the rest of Africa, as well as a panel discussion on export barriers featuring top business leaders.
- African News Agency
