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South Africa

SA to focus on trade as global crisis recedes
19-Jan-2010
SA is likely to focus on stimulating targeted sectors of the economy and firming up trade relations with key partners in Africa, Europe and the east this year, as growing global trade flows are expected to reflect a world emerging from recession.
South Africa: Fisheries pact with EU has to wait
22-Dec-2009 Business Day
The conclusion of a fisheries agreement between SA and the European Union has had to take second place to other considerations, even though SA’s fish exports to the EU are attracting duties that some other countries’ are not.
Farmers protected from Zimbabwe deal
27-Nov-2009 Times Live
South African farmers in Zimbabwe will not forfeit their land or investments as a result of a bilateral agreement still to be signed, a Pretoria judge ordered.
SA farmers threaten legal action over new investment pact with Zim
26-Nov-2009 SW Radio Africa
The imminent signing of a new bilateral investment protection treaty (BIPPA) between Zimbabwe and South Africa could be halted, if an application in the Pretoria High Court on behalf of more than 200 farmers proves successful on Thursday.
Zimbabwe: South Africa farming union insists land grab victims be protected
23-Nov-2009 SW Radio Africa
South Africa’s main agriculture and farming union has expressed concern about the bilateral investment treaty agreed with Zimbabwe, which is set to exclude South African owned farms that were expropriated by the Robert Mugabe regime during the chaotic land ’reform’ programme.
Free trade versus tariffs
26-Oct-2009
The debate over the future trajectory of South Africa’s economic policy is about much more than the powers of Trevor Manuel and the planning ministry.
S.Africa sugar producers hopeful of EU trade deal
16-Oct-2009 Reuters
Durban-based Illovo Sugar — Africa’s biggest producer, majority-owned by British Sugar — said it plans to raise output by 50 percent to nearly 3 million tonnes in the next five years to cash in on the new tariff-free EU access.
S.Africa farmers want land in Zimbabwe investment pact
15-Oct-2009 Reuters
While Agri SA has been leading a push for South African farmers to invest and farm in a number of other countries across Africa, including the Republic of Congo, Libya and Zambia, the union has urged its members to stay away from countries where South Africa has no investment protection agreements.
Zim-SA bilateral agreement doomed
25-Sep-2009 Financial Gazette
The Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) between Zimbabwe and South Africa, initially scheduled for signing in April and later deferred to June, is headed for total collapse as the two parties have failed to agree on the wording of Article 11 of the agreement.
SACU busy with painful discussions, says Manuel
19-Sep-2009
The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) is having very painful discussions at the moment in Swaziland on its very future, said Minister in the Presidency for National Planning, Trevor Manuel.
S.Africa, EU sign trade deal, to bridge Doha gaps
11-Sep-2009 Reuters
South Africa and the European Union on Friday signed an amended trade, development and co-operation agreement and also pledged to intensify work to bridge gaps preventing conclusion of Doha trade talks.
SA to state objections to trade treaties
9-Sep-2009
SA is expected to reiterate its objections to the economic partnership agreements signed between the European Union (EU) and three members of the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu), which it believes will have disruptive effects, at a summit in Kleinmond on Friday.
Krishna to leave for Brazil on Sunday
29-Aug-2009
Foreign minister S M Krishna will be pay an official visit to Brazil from August 30 to September 1 for co-chairing the 4th India-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting and also for participating in the sixth IBSA Trilateral Commission meeting.
Economic pact with EU causes discord among Sadc members
31-Jul-2009 Engineering News
One of the underlying principles of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community is that it should complement and support regional integration initiatives. However, the signing of the Interim EPA by some member states, and not by others, has generated uncertainty within the region.
South African trade department critical of approach taken to BIT-making
16-Jul-2009 ITN
A position paper published by the Government of South Africa takes a critical posture towards the country’s bilateral investment treaties (BITs).
EU says SA ‘bullying’ neighbours
10-Jul-2009 Times of Swaziland
It seems the problems emanating from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) are far from over, as SA and EU have started exchanging strong ‘words’.
’South Africa has no right’
11-Jun-2009 Swazi Observer
South Africa has no right to enforce ’punishment’ on the other Southern African Customs Union members for signing an interim economic partnership agreement with the European Union, an economist says.
Thailand presses SA for free trade deal
13-May-2009
Thailand is eager to engage SA on a fully fledged free trade agreement (FTA) with the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu).
Don’t sign EPAs - COSATU urges Namibia
7-May-2009 Informante
THE Congress of South African Trade Unions has urged Namibia to follow South Africa and Angola’s footsteps in refusing to sign the much-debated Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, alleging that the purported agreement has a ‘hidden’ agenda.
COSATU calls for rejection of EU-SADC Partnership Agreement
4-May-2009 Times of Swaziland
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is celebrating the rejection of European Union-SADC Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) negotiations by the governments of South Africa and Angola and is mobilising for a political intervention in the whole agreement negotiations.