Speaker's Meeting addressed by the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa – HE Minister ROB DAVIES on “Trade Policy and Economic Growth”

This report documents a speaker's meeting on April 4, 2011, featuring Rob Davies, the South African Minister of Trade and Industry. The discussion focuses on South Africa's trade strategy, the challenges of the WTO Doha Development Round, and the potential of the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (T-FTA) to enhance regional integration and economic growth.

• South Africa utilizes tariffs as a tool of industrial policy, though they are not the sole policy. Changes to tariffs are not based on a predetermined approach to increases or decreases but are instead determined by independent, evidence-based, case-by-case assessments conducted by the International Trade Administration Commission.
• The Minister expressed skepticism regarding the progress of the WTO Doha Development Round, suggesting the window for agreement in 2011 was closing. He noted that the 2008 text was unbalanced and that the United States was unwilling to cooperate without securing additional commercial benefits for its own industries.
• South Africa's position in the Doha Round is not maximalist; for instance, it has not demanded the total elimination of trade-distorting agricultural subsidies. However, the Minister highlighted that the 'Swiss formula' for manufacturing tariff cuts could result in 23% of tariff lines facing cuts of 30% or more at applied rates, given a coefficient of 22 and available flexibilities.
• The Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (T-FTA) is viewed as a mechanism to broaden the regional market and overcome the limitations of small domestic markets. It involves 26 countries with a combined population of 500 to 700 million and a combined GDP of $264 billion.
• South Africa is working to shift the nature of its trade with BRICS countries from exporting primary products and importing end products to a more value-added approach. This includes a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China focused on industrialization and mineral beneficiation.
• Regional integration efforts include addressing the 'missing middle' in transport infrastructure, as many African railway lines currently lead only to the coast. The Transcunene spatial development initiative is cited as an example, connecting Angola, the DRC, and Namibia.

APA

Dube, M. (2011). Speaker's Meeting addressed by the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa – HE Minister ROB DAVIES on “Trade Policy and Economic Growth”. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/edip_report_rob_davies_trade_201104.pdf

Chicago

Dube, Memory. Speaker's Meeting addressed by the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa – HE Minister ROB DAVIES on “Trade Policy and Economic Growth”. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2011. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/edip_report_rob_davies_trade_201104.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dube |first1=Memory |title=Speaker's Meeting addressed by the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa – HE Minister ROB DAVIES on “Trade Policy and Economic Growth” |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=4 April 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/edip_report_rob_davies_trade_201104.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dube2011speakers, author = {Dube, Memory}, title = {{Speaker's Meeting addressed by the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa – HE Minister ROB DAVIES on “Trade Policy and Economic Growth”}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/edip_report_rob_davies_trade_201104.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }