Southern African Customs Union (SACU) |ForumIAS

ForumIAS LATEST

1. 1. FRC 2027: SFG Residential program | accepting application for Tranche-2 Click Here to know more →
  2. CSAT Classes for Prelims 2027 by Rishi Bhargav sir starts 16 Nov. at 5 PM Click Here to know more →
  3. Prelims Sprint classes 2027: Starts 2nd Nov. at 4:30 PM | First class open to all. Click Here to know more →

News: India has signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with SACU.

About Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

Southern African Customs Union (SACU) is an African regional economic organisation and the world’s oldest customs union.
Established: It was established in 1910 and re-established in 1969.
Members: It comprises South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) and Lesotho.
Headquarters: It’s headquarters is located in Windhoek, Namibia.
Key Features:
- Function: The five members share customs revenues and coordinate trade policies and decision-making.
- Common Customs Territory: It allows the free movement of goods among member states without internal tariffs.
- Common External Tariff: A Common External Tariff (CET) applies to goods imported from territories outside SACU.
- Regional Linkage: All SACU members also participate in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

India has signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with SACU.
Key Areas: The proposed PTA will cover eight broad subject areas, including trade in goods, market access, customs, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade remedies, technical barriers to trade, rules of origin and dispute settlement.