On Monday 5 February, the European Commission announced that the economic partnership agreement (EPA) between the EU and six countries of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC – an African regional entity that comprises 15 countries in total) can now be applied by all signatories of the region.
Mozambique is the last country to have ratified this agreement for the asymmetrical liberalisation of trade that was signed on 14 June 2016. Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland have been applying this EPA provisionally since 10 October 2016.
Under the EPA, the African countries that are party to it will liberalise 86% of their market (Mozambique only 74%) over ten years, with the exception of agricultural and fisheries products. In return, the EU will guarantee immediate access to its market, duty and quota free, for products from five countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Swaziland), whilst South Africa will benefit from improved access under its bilateral agreement.
Mozambique will gradually reduce its customs duties on many products exported by the EU. Trade between the EU and Mozambique represents some €2 billion a year. Mozambique exports aluminium and cane sugar. Exports from ECOWAS countries to the EU represent 22% of their total exports. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)