Why deepening intra-BRICS agricultural trade is essential for SA
High tariffs and phytosanitary barriers restrict South Africa’s agricultural exports to BRICS partners, driving urgent calls for preferential trade agreements ahead of the upcoming New Delhi summit.
South Africa's agricultural exports to BRICS partners face significant challenges due to high tariffs and phytosanitary barriers, according to the Presidential Envoy on Agriculture and Land, Wandile Sihlobo. The BRICS grouping, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and other countries, represents a potentially lucrative market for South African agricultural products.
However, India and China, two of the group's key importers, currently account for less than 10% of South Africa's agricultural exports, while the Southern African Customs Union countries account for roughly 20%. To expand intra-BRICS agricultural trade, it is essential to address these obstacles and remove higher tariffs and non-tariff barriers.
While a comprehensive free trade agreement in BRICS may be a lengthy process, establishing a preferential market access area for agricultural products among member countries is an urgent and appropriate policy step in the interim. This step would build upon China's recent decision to lower tariffs for African goods and be a significant move towards deeper economic integration within the BRICS group, particularly in agriculture.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
