In this paper, we examine the changing role of trade in South Africa and SADC from different vantage points. We first review progress in liberalizing South Africa's trade regime, and conclude that, while signs of progress are clear, the levels and complexity of protection continue to pose barriers to the evolution of efficient…"

Almost immediately after the first democratic election, South African policy makers embraced the policy of trade liberalisation (see Holden 2000). To many observers, the offer made by South Africa to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has been very generous. Various attempts to evaluate the impact of trade liberalisation on the South African economy…"

Since the early 1980s South Africa's trade policy regime has shifted from one of import substitution towards one of export orientation. This shift has been encouraged by trade liberalisation which accelerated in 1994 with tariff liberalisation, export orientation policies that ranged from direct support (GEIS) to marketing related support, and the GEAR macroeconomic…"

The past two decades have witnessed far-reaching reforms in the provision of telecommunications services. Before the 1980's, telecoms services were mainly provided by state-owned enterprises and in rare cases by private monopolies with territorial or functional licenses. The 80's saw the role of the state being increasingly changed from that of service provider…"

This paper tests a 'generalised' version of Thirlwall's balance-of-payments (BOP) constrained growth model by examining the existence of a long-run relation between the output growth rates of OECD countries, South Africa and the rest of the Southern African Development Community (RSADC). Although the policy implications of the study are not mutually exclusive, they…"

This paper presents results based on a recent South African firm-level survey. It examines the export behaviour of South African manufacturing firms, it attempts to characterise the decision to export and it also considers the destination of exports. We find the following: 71% of South African firms export. These firms export on average…"

This note presents a first cut at analysing the tariff schedule that is applied to South African imports. The aim is to show various ways in which tariffs on South African imports can be analysed such that DTI can develop in-house capacity to undertake such analysis on an on-going basis. A cursory comparison…"

This document has been prepared for the Trade and Industrial Policy Secretariat (TIPS) in light of the imperative for South Africa to prepare its negotiating mandate at the discussions around the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) that commences in the year 2000. The GATS was negotiated during…"

It is generally acknowledged that there is no sufficient, exhaustive and elaborate empirical examination of the quantitative impact of policies pertaining to import demand and economic growth in South Africa. In order to arrive at conclusive, sagacious and applicable policies on the economic growth potential of an economy, it is imperative to evaluate,…"

The paper aimed to establish the changes that had occurred in the institutional structures governing trade policy in South Africa during the period 1990-1998. It also examined the forces that had influenced the application of tariff policy by the major tariff setting bodies by applying various theories of endogenous protection to their decisions.…"

A major policy issue for many developing countries is to foster further integration into the world economy. This note discusses the role competition policy can play in the context of efforts to promote the restructuring the economy, focusing in particular on the relationship with industrial and trade policy and on the potential role…"

There continues to be considerable concern that the expansion of trade with developing countries (hereafter South) is lowering the relative wage of unskilled labour in developed countries (hereafter North). The issue of income divergence in the North is highlighted by the experience of the U.S., where a marked decline in the relative wage…"

The studies of Evans (1996, 1997a,b) appear to be the most analytically ambitious attempts to address, empirically, the question of the economic desirability of a southern African free trade area (FTA).  Evans (1996) is apparently the only serious study available to date which gives detailed sectoral effects of the formation of a SADC…"

This paper describes formal employment trends in the South African economy since 1970, through using both survey and time-series data. In addition, the study tries to understand the forces that have shaped these employment trends. The descriptive statistics reveal that the primary sectors have shed close to 1.5 million jobs in the period…"

The aim of this paper is to consider the relationship between competitiveness, international trade and financial factors in the South African economy. The term ‘competitiveness’ is used here in two closely related, but distinctly different, senses. One of these refers to a country’s ability ‘to realise central economic policy goals, especially growth in…"

In the lead-up to the next round of WTO talks, some commentators have argued that developing countries should liberalise their service industries for their own benefit and not just in response to industrial country demands. This paper critically explores this position for the case of South Africa. It finds that while the structure…"

This study projects the impact of the proposed free trade area (FTA) between South Africa and the European Union on the bilateral trade flows between the two. The South African and European respective proposals, as formulated in 1996, served as a basis. The results are evaluated both at an aggregate level, to gauge…"

This study undertakes a preliminary analysis of changes in manufacturing in light of the ongoing trade liberalisation measures introduced in the 1990s. The case for trade liberalisation rests on firms responding to the increased incentive to export, leading to more efficient use of resources, with increased productivity, competition and investment. After reviewing evidence…"

As South Africa commits itself to entering a free-trade agreement with the SADC community a number of important issues arise. These range from the likely economic impact of a FTA on member countries, the legal political and regulatory problems and others. This paper represents the first attempt to explain these various facets of…"

This paper reviews several studies of the determinants of exports in South Africa in the light of the policy directions, which have emphasised the importance of an export led growth path for the economy. Major trading partners and the composition of trade are examined as are the role of the real exchange rate,…"