SADC is increasingly supporting free trade as part of its poverty eradication programme in Southern Africa. As part of its long-term regional integration objectives, SADC established a free trade area in 2008. In this area, Member States have abolished customs duties on trade, but have been able to impose their own external customs duties on imports from third countries. In January 2008, 12 Member States signed free trade agreements that reduced tariffs to 85% of intra-regional imports. Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Seychelles have yet to join the free trade area. Non-participating Member States are currently assisted by the Secretariat for Accession. Further information on this Treaty and its Protocols may continue to work and assist Member States in participating in trade negotiations and implementing trade agreements on the official website of the Southern African Development Community on www.sadc.int/documents-publications/sadc-treaty/ SADC. As part of its efforts to promote regional integration among member States, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has taken steps to support trade liberalization throughout the Southern African region. Relative to SADC trade as a whole, intra-SADC trade increased from only 15.7 per cent to 18.5 per cent over the same period. As part of its regional integration agenda, SADC has made considerable progress in removing barriers to trade and promoting growth in the region.
SADC has also signed a protocol on trade in services with a view to liberalizing trade in services. In 2008, the tripartite summit of heads of State and Government of SADC, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC) proposed a single free trade area comprising 26 countries, including almost half of Africa`s population — more than 500 million people. The agreement on the 2011 tripartite summit shows that all necessary preparatory work should be completed by 2012. At present, SADC has 26 protocols, including those that have not yet entered into force. A list of all CDIC protocols and access to each document can be found in the Logs section of the Documents and Publications menu. Trade liberalization focuses on the process of opening markets to international trade by reducing trade restrictions, including tariffs and non-tariff barriers to the import and export of goods. The liberalization of trade in the region will create a larger market and unlock the potential for trade, economic growth and job creation. The SADC Free Trade Area aims to address the following needs of the private sector and other regional actors: the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Trade Protocol (1996), as amended in 2010, is one of the main legal instruments guiding SADC`s work in the area of trade. It is an agreement between SADC member States to reduce tariffs and other barriers to trade for products imported between SADC member States.
The protocol provided for the creation of a free trade area in the region. .
