OAS

 
MERCOSUR-Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
Texto del acuerdo
  Background and Negotiations
   

In December 2000, the countries of MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) signed a framework agreement towards the creation of a free trade area between MERCOSUR and South Africa. This framework agreement established a negotiating committee to work towards the establishment of a free trade agreement.

In December 2004, MERCOSUR and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) - composed of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland - signed a preferential trade agreement. In conjunction with the agreement, they issued an understanding on the conclusion of their preferential trade agreement, in which they expressed satisfaction at completing this agreement and reaffirmed their commitment to pursue further negotiations and enhance bilateral cooperation aimed at facilitating the implementation of the agreement. Ministers instructed that these negotiations begin as soon as possible and envisaged additional protocols to the agreement in customs and the automotive sector.

Negotiations continued, with the next meeting taking place in May 2005. At the tenth meeting , held in South Africa in August 2006, Parties agreed on the importance of concluding the current phase of negotiations.

The Preferential Trade Agreement Between the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), was signed on 15 December 2008, in Salvador, Brazil; and, on 03 April 2009 in Maseru, Lesotho.

Documents relating to the negotiations
15 December 2008 and
03 April 2009

Salvador, Brazil (15 December 2008) and Maseru, Lesotho (03 April 2009). Signature of the Preferential Trade Agreement Between the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

26-28 October 2005

Montevideo, Uruguay. Report of the ninth meeting of the negotiating committee established by the framework agreement for the creation of a MERCOSUR-SACU FTA MS Word format

Annexes to the report of the ninth meeting: Annex I MS Word format | Annex II MS Word format | Annex III MS Excel format | Annex IV MS Word format | Annex V MS Word format | Annex VIMS Excel format | Annex VII MS Word format | Annex VIII MS Word format

10-13 May 2005 Pretoria, South Africa. Report of the eighth meeting of the negotiating committee established by the framework agreement for the creation of a MERCOSUR-SACU FTA MS Word format
16 December 2004 Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Understanding between SACU and MERCOSUR on conclusion of their preferential trade agreement MS Word format
9-12 November 2004

Pretoria, South Africa. Report of the sixth meeting of the negotiating committee established by the framework agreement for the creation of a MERCOSUR-SACU FTA MS Word format

Annexes to the report of the sixth meeting: Annex IV MS Word format | Annex V MS Word format | Annex VI MS Word format | Annex VII MS Word format

29 September - 01 October 2004

Brasilia, Brazil. Report of the fifth meeting of the negotiating committee established by the framework agreement for the creation of a MERCOSUR-SACU FTA MS Word format

Annexes to the report of the fith meeting: Annex I MS Word format | Annex II MS Word format | Annex III MS Word format | Annex IV | Annex V MS Word format | Annex VI MS Word format

15 December 2000 Florianopolis, Brazil. Framework Agreement for the creation of a MERCOSUR-South Africa free trade agreement Spanish PDF format
Source: Subsecretaria de Política y Gestión Comercial, Dirección Nacional de Política Comercial Externa de Argentina

  Texts
   
April 2008 & 2016 Text of the MERCOSUR-SACU Preferential Trade Agreement enters into force Español PortuguesPDF New!
16 December 2004

Text of the Preferential Trade Agreement between the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) MS Word format

Annexes to the Preferential Trade Agreement: Annex IMS Excel format | Annex II MS Excel format | Annex III MS Word format | Annex IV MS Word format | Annex V MS Word format

Source: Ministério do Desenvolvimento, Indústria e Comércio Exterior, Brasil; Subsecretaria de Política y Gestión Comercial, Dirección Nacional de Política Comercial Externa de Argentina
  Entry into Force
   

After being ratified by all signatory parties, the Preferential Trade Agreement between MERCOSUR and SACU entered into force on 1 April 2016.

Documents relating to entry into force

01 April 2016 MERCOSUR-SACU Preferential Trade Agreement enters into force enters into force EspañolPDF New!
Source: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Uruguay

  Sources
   
 

Recent Developments
  01 April 2016. MERCOSUR-SACU Preferential Trade Agreement enters into force New!

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