EU and UK Trade with Southern Africa

Dr Peg Murray-Evans

Research AssociateDepartment of Politics

University of Yorkpeg.murray-evans@york.ac.uk

Economic Partnership Agreements: A set of free trade agreements between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions.

• Key aim: to support development by providing access to the EU market and encouraging ACP trade reforms and regional integration

The EPA with the SADC Group

• The SADC EPA was signed in June 2016 and is in the process of ratification.

• SADC countries could lose preferential access to the UK market following Brexit

BotswanaLesothoNamibia

SwazilandSouth Africa

MozambiqueAngola

SADC-EPA Group

SADC

SACU

TanzaniaZambiaZimbabwe

MadagascarMalawiMauritius

South Africa and Namibia

South Africa Namibia• Exports to EU: 21.8%• Exports to UK: 4.4%

• Exports to EU: 12.5%• Exports to UK: 0.9%

• Key exports to EU:– Namibia: beef, grapes

– South Africa: agricultural produce (esp. fresh fruit)

• South Africa has important trade links to UK that would be affected by loss of preferential market access.

SADC EPA: Key Issues

• Impact of the EPA on Regional integration

• South Africa’s important political and economic role in the region

• Beyond trade in goods?