SADC
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was established on 17 August 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia with a vision to be integrated within a regional community that will ensure economic well-being, improvement of the standards of living and quality of life, freedom and social justice; peace and security for the peoples of Southern Africa.
SADC Member States
- Angola
- Botswana
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Lesotho
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
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- Namibia
- Seychelles
- South Africa
- Swaziland
- Tanzania
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
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Facts & Figures (2010)
| Area (km²) |
Population |
Total GDP |
Per Capita |
Imports |
Exports |
| 9.9 Million |
+255 million |
US $ 436 billion |
US $ 1,712 |
US $ 147 billion |
US $ 173 billion |
SADC Free Trade Area
The SADC FTA was formally launched on 17 August 2008. The implementation of the SADC Trade Protocol started in the year 2000 with the gradual elimination of customs duties on 85% of tariff lines by 2008 and with tariffs on the remaining 'sensitive products' being eliminated by 2012.
SADC Rules of Origin
The SADC Rules of Origin are product-specific whereby each tariff heading is assigned one or several criteria to be fulfilled for origin to be conferred.
In order to benefit from preferential treatment on the SADC market, all goods should comply with the rules of origin under the Protocol and must be accompanied by a valid SADC certificate of origin.
The Rules of Origin can be one of the following types:
- Wholly produced
- Change in tariff heading
- Percentage rule
- Two-stage transformation for textile and clothing
SADC Certificate of Origin:
The SADC Certificate of Origin is both issued and approved by the Customs Department of the Mauritius Revenue Authority. The online application for the SADC Certificate of Origin is made through a Freight Forwarder or Customs House Broker via the TradeNet system. More information on the SADC Certificate can be obtained from the Customs Department:
Mauritius Revenue Authority
Customs Department,
Customs House
Mer Rouge
Port Louis
Tel: (230) 202 0500
Fax: (230) 216 7784
Email: customs@mra.mu
Website:
http://www.gov.mu/portal/sites/mra/updcus.htm
For the Customs Department to approve the Certificate, the following documents must be submitted:
- SADC Certificate of Origin duly filled
- Customs Declaration (Export and Import)
- Export Invoice
- Appropriate certified costing for value added requirements
- Any other document as may be required by Customs Department
Non-Tariff Barriers Monitoring Mechanism
In the region, Member States of the SADC, COMESA and EAC have decided to adopt a harmonized approach as regards to the elimination of NTBs. The three RECs have joined forces to implement a common Non-Tariff Barrier reporting, monitoring and eliminating mechanism, which incorporates concrete timelines for the removal of NTBs in the region.
The online NTB monitoring mechanism is available on www.tradebarriers.org. Operators can directly report and monitor the resolution of barriers encountered in the COMESA, EAC and SADC regions. This new system enhances transparency and makes it easy to follow-up reported and identified NTBs. This web-based NTB system is accessible to all economic operators, public officials, academic researchers and other interested parties.
Mauritian operators exporting to the region are strongly encouraged to use the online system to report any NTB encountered. The website lists the different types of NTBs which can be reported on the system. Once the complaint is registered in the database, it is logged with a reference number. This reference number can be used to monitor who is responsible for dealing with the reported NTB and any specific outcomes. The online system also publishes notifications of procedural, legislative or regulatory changes announced by Member States in the three RECs, enabling all traders to constantly keep up to date with trading requirements.
More information can be obtained either from the www.tradebarriers.org website or from MCCI, which has been appointed as the national private sector focal point for assisting the business community in the reporting process.
Useful
Websites
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