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The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) consists of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. It was established in 1910, making the oldest customs union in the world. The SACU agreement was revised in 1969 and in 2002.
As a customs union, the members implement one common external tariff with outside countries and charge no duties on trade between them. SACU is increasingly involved in bilateral FTAs with foreign trade partners, mainly because it forms a single customs territority with South Africa as its powerhouse economy:  In 2003, SACU started FTA talks with the US, but these were grounded by mid-2006 due to Washington’s high demands. In 2008, a Trade and Investment Development Cooperation Agreement was signed instead, as an interim measure towards a full and final FTA. In April 2005, SACU signed a preferential trade agreement with the southern Latin American bloc Mercosur, its first FTA. The agreement was revised, to incorporate further protocols, in April 2008. In 2006, SACU signed an FTA with the European Free Trade Area (EFTA).In 2010, the SACU Secretariat also commissioned a study into a potential SACU-East African Community (EAC) trade agreement. In 2011, SACU agreed to a set of principles to guide FTAs, and prioritized pursuing deals with Mercosur and India. The ambitious project to forge an FTA between India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) may actually revolve around India, Mercosur and SACU. last update: May 2012 Articles
Chile affirms importance of trade agreement with Sacu
| 17-August-2012
Chile views the recently finalised memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the creation of a Joint Trade and Investment Commission with South Africa as the starting point for the negotiation of a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu).
Discussions Start On Industrial Policy
| 19-November-2011
The country’s draft policy on industrialisation is finally ready for public discussion after years of private sector grousing over its absence and the consequent devastating effects on Namibia’s overall market competitiveness.
Botswana stands to lose billions in SACU revenues
| 19-November-2011
The global economic crisis, along with other evolving structural factors within SACU, could cut a P5-billion permanent hole in revenues that Botswana receives from the customs union, the IMF estimates.
Sacu-Mercosur Pta Gets Cautionary Thumbs-Up
| 3-November-2011
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Tjekero Tweya, tabled a motion in Parliament on Thursday for the ratification of a preferential trade agreement (PTA) between the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) and South America’s trade bloc, called the Common Market of the South (Mercosur).
Southern Africa Customs Union agrees to jointly negotiate trade agreements
| 27-March-2011
The Southern African Customs Union has finally agreed on a set of principles to negotiate all future trade agreements, including deals with India and Mercosur, collectively
Experts called in to fix customs union split
| 7-October-2010
The Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) has instructed a team of technical experts to draft terms of reference acceptable to all five member states, in order to resolve the contentious issue of an economic partnership agreement with the European Union, President Jacob Zuma said yesterday. 
The beleaguered Southern African Customs Union (SACU) has to face up to serious challenges at its upcoming heads of state meeting in October.
SADC Churches discuss SACU
| 13-September-2010
A regional SACU civil society conference has recommended that there is a need for a broader regional agenda anchored on the strength of small economies in the region.
National body to monitor flood of imports
| 8-August-2010
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is in the process of establishing a national body under the 2002 Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Agreement.
Sacu to study impact of free-trade deal with East African Community
| 26-April-2010
The Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) is in the process of initiating a study of a possible free trade agreement (FTA) with the East African Community (EAC). |
L’accord entre l’Union Européenne et l’Inde menace l’accès aux traitements en Afrique du Nord et au Moyen-Orient
| 12-April-2013
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