House Chair, on behalf of the ANC I stand before you in support of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry that this House, in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution approves the Economic Partnership Agreement between the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique, Sacum and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island.
We are part of an international trade system in which we have entered into bilaterals and multilateral trade agreements with countries of the world to ensure that our country, like all other countries in the world, has access to international markets. We stand for rule-based international system in which mechanisms and instruments have been developed and agreed to on how to conduct trade at an international level.
As alluded to by the chair of the portfolio committee, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and South Africa have extensive trade and economic relations which continue to grow. The total trade excluding gold, as has been mentioned before, between South Africa and the UK increased from 56,3 billion in 2012 to 101,2 billion in 2018, an increase of 79,8%. Wow! [Interjections.]
South Africa has a positive trade balance with the UK. The top UK imports from South Africa are gold including grated platinum, palladium, motor cars and other vehicles; fresh fruits including citrus, grapes, apples, pears, berries, peaches, avocado pears and wine - makes
you hungry. The purpose of the agreement is to provide stability EFF - stability to protect jobs.
The trading relationship between Southern Customs Union Member countries and the UK, once it formally exits the European Union, may no longer utilise existing trade agreements between the EU and Southern Customs Union Member countries. In this regard the UK Economic Partnership Agreement provides transitional arrangements to enable South African traders to continue the existing trading relationship with the UK. It is not a new trading agreement. It will maintain duty-free and quota-free access for exports from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique and Namibia into the UK. Thank you. Wow! [Time expired.]
Question put: That the Economic Partnership Agreement, EPA between the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique, Sacum and the United Kingdom, UK be approved.
Agreed to.
Economic Partnership Agreement, EPA between the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique, Sacum and the United Kingdom, UK accordingly approved.
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