The signing of the SADC EU EPA Agreement took place in Botswana on the 9 June 2016 by all SACU Member States. The EU Parliament approved the agreement after legal scrapping.
South African Parliament ratified the Agreement on the 30 August 2016 and Namibian Parliament on the 1 August 2016. The South African government hopes that other SADC Member States would sign the Agreement before the end of September 2016, so that the agreement is ready to be implemented by the 1 October 2016. With the enactment of this agreement, the South African Wine Industry at the beginning of 2017 would export 110 million litres duty free to EU with additional 1 million litres duty free annually, a quota the industry would expect to use to its maximum.
Michael Mokhoro from Salba can be contacted for more information at mmokhoro@salba.co.za or 083 271 7482.