South Africa is protesting a 35 percent tariff imposed on its motor vehicles, textiles and apparel exports to the East African Community (EAC) under the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), exposing a long-running dispute over protectionism.

A senior official in South Africa’s Office of the President told The EastAfrican there “should never be any imposition of tariffs on any country” within a free market framework, underscoring Pretoria’s hard-line stance.

The EAC, however, maintains the products are “sensitive” and require protection to support local industry.

Speaking in Nairobi, Kenny Morolong, South Africa’s Deputy Minister in the Presidency, called for consensus on tariffs.“We have always maintained that there should never be any imposition of tariffs on any country. And that's why there's a need for our ministers to have this discussion,” Mr Morolong told The EastAfrican.“South Africa is committed to a diversification of our markets and that is why we are committed to African Continental Free Trade Area, which is meant to create a single market for Africa with respect to the movement of goods and services, but also relaxation of tariffs regime.”Negotiations between the EAC and the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) – dominated by South Africa – have stalled, largely over tariffs on motor vehicles.

The EAC has refused to grant duty-free access to Sacu-produced vehicles, classifying them as “sensitive” to protect regional industrialisation and local assembly.

Imports of vehicles from Sacu into the EAC are currently subject to the Common External Tariff (CET), which imposes a 35 percent duty on finished goods.

Sacu has pushed for lower tariffs, but concessions under the TFTA are based on reciprocity, which has not been fully achieved in this sector.

The TFTA brings together 29 countries from the EAC, Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), creating one of Africa’s largest trading blocs.

It was launched in Egypt on June 10, 2015, and entered into force on July 25, 2024.

Most EAC member states – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo – are also members of Comesa, while Sacu comprises South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and eSwatini.

The row highlights tensions between regional integration commitments and domestic industrial policy.

South Africa itself is considering raising tariffs on imported vehicles from countries such as India and China from 25 percent to as high as 50 percent to protect its domestic auto industry.

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