The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau says the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) dealing with regulatory compliance and standards is about improving the quality of trade, thus strengthening economic ties between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China.
Together with China’s Vice Minister of State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), Mr SHU Wei, Tau led the signing ceremony of the MOUs which are centred around alignment of rules and standards to support the implementation of the Zero-Tariff Agreement.
The Framework Agreement on the Economic Partnership for Shared Development (CADEPA) was signed earlier this year in Beijing, granting qualifying South African goods exported to China the benefit of zero customs duties. The implementation of this agreement came into effect last month, with South Africa being one of the African countries to benefit.
The MOUs were between the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and accreditation and standards agencies from the two countries such as SA’s National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) and the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment.
Tau emphasised that the MOUs represent a technical commitment with practical consequences for exporters and consumers in both countries.
“South Africa’s position is clear; trade facilitation must not mean lowering standards. It must mean improving systems, reducing unnecessary duplication, and ensuring that technical requirements are applied in a way that supports both economic development and public welfare. There is a difference between reducing unnecessary barriers and abandoning the integrity of our technical requirements. Every time a product crosses a border, it must demonstrate compliance,” he said.
He highlighted some priority sectors where these agreements matter the most. They include automotive components, new energy vehicles, agro-processing, renewable energy technologies, medical devices among others.
“The practical work programme that flows from today’s commitments should focus on priority trade sectors where duplicate testing is creating unnecessary cost and delay; undertaking technical comparison work on applicable standards and conformity assessment procedures; strengthening regulator-to-regulator and accreditation-body-to-accreditation-body engagement; and establishing a practical mechanism through which issues affecting the acceptance of accredited results can be raised, assessed, and resolved,” he said.
People’s Republic of China’s Vice Minister of State Administration for Market Regulation, Mr SHU Wei with Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau, after signing MOUs to cement trade ties. The signing ceremony took place at the dtic Headquarters in Pretoria.
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