BRITAIN PM ASSURES ESWATINI OF QUOTA, DUTY FREE MARKET

MBABANE – Britain Prime Minister (PM) Theresa May has assured Eswatini of continued access to the British market.

May guaranteed the kingdom that even after the UK leaves the European Union (EU) trade bloc, all terms contained in the European Partnership Agreement (EPA) would continue to be existent. 

Others countries that will enjoy the same benefit will be Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa, according to the Daily Mail which reported on the PM’s visit to Cape Town as part of a three-day tour of South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

The EPA, which came into force on October 1, 2016, guarantees 100 per cent free access to the EU market. Under this trade agreement, the EU liberalised 9 600 products which could be exported by qualifying countries. The exports to the EU are quota free and duty free.

Eswatini’s main exports to the EU include sugar, wood pulp, beef and animal products, vegetables, fruits and miscellaneous edibles. However, it should be mentioned that the Swaziland Sugar Association (SSA) recently reported that Eswatini sugar sales to the European Union (EU) fell by 36 per cent.
SSA said this was both as a result of loss in value in that market as well as the abolition of the EU production quotas in October 2017, which led to the EU market becoming self-sufficient.

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade Principal Secretary Siboniso Nkambule asked not to immediately respond to May’s assurance until such time when he has seen or heard the PM’s comments. “I have been in a meeting for the better part of the day. I will comment when I have seen the article,” briefly said Nkambule.

Federation of the Swaziland Business Community (FESBC) President Tum Du Pont appreciated the assurance given by May for the country to continue trading with the Britain. He urged government to formally update the business community on the latest developments with a view to empower them as to how they could fully utilise the available business community.

“We urge government to also take it upon themselves to provide us with all the essential information as to how we will be expected to trade with Britain when it eventually leaves the EU,” said Du Pont.

It should be mentioned that the processing of an E84 million cash injection, which could greatly improve Eswatini businesses access to exporting goods and services to the EU, purely rested on the formulation of an all encompassing EPA trade facilitation strategy.

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