ANNUAL VALUE

E2.7 billion

E2.6 billion

E1.5 billion

E820 million

E1.3 billion

E380 million

E1.1 billion

E950 million

E250 million

Lesotho, India, China

South Africa

Category A products are those that are traded in the agricul ture sector.

The availability of the new market will boost SACU re ceipts which declined by more than eight per cent in (swatini last year.

The 0inister of Commerce, ,ndustry and Trade, 0anToba .humalo, as Chairperson of SACU 0inisters, informed AfC)TA member States that the SACU region was ready to trade.

This was during the eleventh AfC)TA Council of 0inisters responsible for trade which was held in *aborone, %ot swana last Saturday.

NEGOTIATIONS

.humalo indicated that SACU members had finalised internal negotiations on the AfC)TA Tariff 2ffer which meets the level of ambition of 0 per cent for Category A products, which he said were those to be liberalised immediately.

“The offer will be endorsed by the assembly after under going the necessary verifica tion process by the AfC)TA Secretariat.

“Thereafter, SACU mem ber States can start trading preferentially under the Af C)TA Agreement and the business community will enjoy the benefits of the con tinental market,´ mentioned .humalo.

The minister added that SACU secretariat would work with the AfC)TA sec retariat to ensure that the offer was available to all AfC)TA State parties once all tech nical verification has been finalised.

The market comes at a nec essary period as SACU mem ber States recorded a trade deficit of R323. billion in 202 with the rest of the world and population in SACU grew from . million in 20 to

. million in 2022, accord ing to the SACU report.