South Africa continues to press the US for trade deal, says Parks Tau

South Africa continued to work tirelessly discussing with its counterparts in the US to keep the trade route open and having submitted the Framework Deal in May, South Africa has signed a condition precedent document with the office of the US Trade Representative, a precursor to finalisation of the negotiations, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau said in his budget vote.

Tau said the collective work of business, organised labour and civil society, in engaging the US Congress is also a key lever in South Africa's toolkit in its approach to ensuring the continued inclusion of South Africa in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act and to respond to the recently proposed US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act.

"Our active engagements with Asia are significantly bearing fruit. We have advanced conversations with China on Green Industrialisation and deepening our industrial supply chains. We have also committed to working with them to beneficiate our critical minerals here at source.  This will unlock value in our Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Industrial Parks as we agree that these dynamic strategic nodes in our country are best placed to drive our reindustrialisation agenda." Tau said.

By Banele Ginindza

Full story at IOL