SA is losing out on potentially billions of rand in revenue as its exporters are forced to pay higher tariff duties to access the Zimbabwean market, while Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies struggles to resolve an import ban on South African products by that country. Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter, deputy director-general for international trade and economic development in the Department of Trade and Industry, told Business Day that figures showed trade had improved from 2015 despite restrictions. "But this indicates that more could have been traded if the restrictions were not in place. "In addition, it indicates that South African exporters are absorbing the higher duty — higher than the agreed SADC [Southern African Development Community] duty — in order to access the Zimbabwean market. This is, of course, inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the SADC Trade Protocol."
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