Growing and Deepening SA Exports Sample Clauses

Growing and Deepening SA Exports. 1.2.1 Adopting a more aggressive approach to increasing exports Programme description Since 1994, South Africa has concluded a number of preferential trade agreements with trading blocs and individual countries. Exploitation of the opportunities presented by these agreements has not been optimized and it is proposed that increased energy be put into identifying focus areas that should be vigorously pursued. In addition, the relationship between dti industrial policy and trade policy could be implemented in a more synergistic way. In order to fully exploit the opportunities presented by trade agreements there is a need to address challenges that have been encountered in pursuing export opportunities including: Lack of seamless transport networks to ports of export; High levels of inefficiency at the ports; and, Delays in customs clearance. In addition to the above, insufficient dissemination of information on trade agreement opportunities reaches prospective exporters at company level. Similarly, the trade negotiation process is difficult to access and understand particularly at individual company given the complexity of the agreements and the number of parties that need to be involved in assessing and analysing the information to formulate a position. Coupled with the above-mentioned imperative there is also a need to address the lack of detailed knowledge, about export markets, of many local producers and brands (outside of South Africa’s traditional export intensive sectors), and by the dti sector desks. Local industries may struggle to adopt an offensive position with regards to export opportunities because they do not have sufficient knowledge about the opportunities which exist to pursue or maximise them. There is a need to deepen exposure to market intelligence for local producers. The Social Partners also recognised the importance that infrastructure challenges – such as poor rail and road networks, and blockages at ports – also impact the ability of South African industries to maximise their export opportunities, and the Social Partners agreed these problems must be resolved with urgency. Interventions Social Partners therefore agreed that: • Engagements between the dti sector desks must be institutionalized so that they happen on a regular basis and that specific agreed actions are pursued; • The development of an IT trading platform would be undertaken in a collaboration between the dti and the Manufacturing Circle to assist local industries and ...