Zimbabwe Economic Partnership Agreement
The signing of the deal comes as Zimbabwe`s government seeks to re-engage Western countries after more than two decades of bitterness over Harare`s controversial land reform program, which has driven thousands of white commercial farmers from their farms since 2000. On sanitary and phytosanitary issues, the parties made progress “with an agreement in principle on the prior inclusion of the list and an agreement on the recognition of regionalisation (zoning) with a view to a more sustainable food trade”. The parties committed to consider a provision for an equivalence framework and agreed on the “utmost importance” of cooperation and technical assistance. The purpose of a trade agreement is to stimulate and promote trade between the countries or group of countries that sign the agreement by granting each other preferential treatment in the reduction or elimination of tariffs and the lifting/easing of quantitative restrictions. Exporters should be able to use this advantage as a marketing strategy to give their products an incentive at competitive prices for customers in the importing country. The interim EPA includes a rendezvous clause to negotiate other trade-related areas such as rules and commitments on services and investment, sustainable development and competition (known as the “deepening process”). The five countries already implementing the agreement have declared their willingness to go beyond trade in goods and move towards a more comprehensive agreement. Negotiations on deepening the EPA took place on 2 September. October 2019.
The provisional EPA also covers cooperation on technical barriers to trade and animal and plant standards. In August 2009, four of these countries signed the agreement (Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe). They have applied them provisionally since 14 May 2012. The Comoros signed the agreement in July 2017. It ratified it and began its application in February 2019. The pact also comes as the UK seeks to establish new economic partnerships after leaving the European Union. In January 2013, the European Parliament gave its consent to the agreement. The agreement remains open to other countries that wish to join it later. This Agreement forms part of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the United Kingdom and the countries of the Eastern and Southern Africa Group (ESAG), of which the Republic of Madagascar is a member. “This is a big step forward for Zimbabwe`s reintegration efforts. Signing this partnership will undoubtedly bring more trade and investment to Zimbabwe,” Moyo said.
Customs duties and import taxes represent a significant percentage of the final price of cross-border transactions. A reduction or removal of the duty gives the exporter a significant cost advantage over its competitors in countries that do not have similar trade agreements. Women entrepreneurs will benefit from a commercial agreement allowing them to use this advantage as a marketing strategy to give their products an incentive at competitive prices for customers in the importing country. As regards the Protocol on Rules of Origin, the EPA Committee decided in January 2020 to amend the concept of originating product in order to facilitate and facilitate trade between the ESA region and the EU. The amendment, which entered into force in March 2020, allows economic operators, among other things, greater flexibility while reducing costs. It should be noted that by leaving the European Union, the United Kingdom has committed itself to ensuring the continuity of partnerships with countries where trade agreements with the EU have been signed. For example, negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement between the United Kingdom and a group of Eastern and Southern African (ESA) countries; including Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Comoros, were launched in 2017. Zimbabwe has concluded a number of trade agreements. The most common trade agreements are preferential and/or free trade agreements concluded to reduce (or eliminate) customs duties, quotas and other trade restrictions on qualified products traded between signatory states.
This agreement also reflects the excellent relations between Madagascar and the United Kingdom and the bond of friendship between the two nations, whose official relations were sealed on January 14, 1817 with the signing of the first Anglo-Malagasy treaty. Describes the bilateral and multilateral trade agreements to which this country has acceded, including with the United States. Includes websites and other resources where U.S. companies can get more information on how to use these agreements. The agreement covers three main areas, namely market access, sea and inland fisheries, aquaculture development and development cooperation, including the private sector, infrastructure, natural resources and the environment. These areas are in many ways in line with the priorities of the Malagasy Government in terms of economic diplomacy and, to a greater extent, with the objectives of an accelerated growth economy, promoted by the vision of H.E. Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic of Madagascar, through the Initiative for the Emergence of Madagascar. As regards rules of origin, the EU has presented its proposal for origin procedures, which include self-certification, verification and administrative cooperation, as well as the denial of preferential tariff treatment. After discussing the general provisions, the parties identified converging and divergent positions and agreed to continue work on a joint working document. Zimbabwe is the latest southern African country to sign the EPO with the UK after Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa took similar steps last year. The second round of negotiations to deepen the Preliminary Economic Partnership Agreement took place virtually from 6 to 8 July 2020, following the start of negotiations in Mauritius on 2 October 2019. It will also continue discussions on the first cycle in the field of agriculture.
On technical barriers to trade, the parties have made “good progress” on technical regulations, conformity assessment and market surveillance. The report of the meeting states that the parties will discuss cooperation and technical assistance “in the broader context of development cooperation”. The British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Melanie Robinson, welcomed Zimbabwe`s decision to ratify the EPO. Merchants with shipments under $1,000 can import on certain products with discounted rates. Zimbabwe is a member of several multilateral trade agreements. These are: All countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, with the exception of Eritrea, are members or observers negotiating accession to the WTO. Find out how the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement benefits exporters in Eastern and Southern Africa. Zimbabwe also officially joined the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in February 2020, which aims to create a single continental market for goods and services, ultimately leading to the establishment of a customs union. .
Eastern and Southern Africa includes the Islands of the Indian Ocean (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles), the countries of the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan) and some southern African countries (Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe). Six ESA countries – Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe – concluded an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU at the end of 2007. Citing Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo, the official Herald newspaper said on Wednesday that the EPA would grant Zimbabwean exporters duty-free and quota-free access to the UK market. • Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (APEA) with the European Union Zimbabwe has ratified an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the United Kingdom to promote reciprocal trade concessions between Harare and London. The Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe includes: the two sides meet regularly to discuss the implementation of the EPA. For more information, see: 2. The Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) provides for non-reciprocal (not necessarily duty-free) preferences for qualified goods exported to developed countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, Norway, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, the EU, New Zealand and Australia. .