SACU India Negotiations, 21 – 22 February 2008, Windhoek, Namibia
Preliminary negotiations between SACU and India have been held. The Second round of negotiations is scheduled for 21 – 22 February 2008 in Windhoek Namibia. This round of negotiations is expected to finalize broad negotiating modalities with a view to agreeing on product lines that will be covered under the PTA. Like the India-Mercosur and the SACU-Mercosur negotiations, the discussions are expected to adopt a ‘positive list’ approach: only those sectors listed in the agreement will be liberalized.
The India-Mercosur agreement contained more than 600 products in the agricultural, chemical, automobile and pharmaceutical sectors (AFP, ‘India signs free trade deal with South American bloc,’ March 19, 2005), while the SACU-Mercosur trade deal designated 2,000 products for tariff liberalization.
Source: Briefing Paper CUTS – Citee IBSA 3/2005 and SACU Secretariat