Sacu and US revive free trade talks

THE SOUTHERN African Customs Union (Sacu) and the US will meet in May to revive free trade talks which were suspended last year when they deadlocked over a range of issues. If the free trade agreement (FTA) with the US is concluded, it will broaden local exporters’ preferential access to the $11 trillion economy, according to trade consultants Deloitte. The issues on which they failed to reach consensus ranged from Black Economic Empowerment to high agricultural subsidies awarded by the US and other developed countries to their farmers.