October 09, 2007: WTO NAMA talks 'Is South Africa risking its industrial policy space?'
The South African Institute of International Affairs cordially invites you to a Roundtable discussion on the WTO NAMA talks: 'Is South Africa risking its industrial policy space?'
NAMA (non-agricultural market access) has become one of the Doha round’s notorious deal-breaker issues. Differences between developed and developing countries over desired tariff reductions on industrial goods have been blamed for the failure of the latest attempt by the G4 (US, EU, India, and Brazil) to revive the Doha round.
For South Africa, there is a lot at stake in the NAMA negotiations. Any agreement on this issue will inevitably entail significant cuts in some applied tariffs, which will have some bearing on the country’s much debated industrial policy path. This is why, together with its fellow NAMA 11 group of developing countries, South Africa continues to resist what is perceived to be ‘too radical’ a set of tariff cuts demanded by developed countries.
But for how long will the NAMA 11 stay the course? What is the future of South Africa’s industrial policy in light of the progressive multilateral liberalisation? Will deeper NAMA liberalisation really hurt the South African economy? Are other SACU countries equally worried by NAMA talks?
Programme:
Chair: Kuseni Dlamini (SAIIA)
10h00 Opening and welcome
10h05-10h30 'South Africa's industrial policy and the NAMA negotiations'
Nimrod Zalk, Chief Director - Industrial Strategy: EIDD,
the dti
10h30-10h55 'Macroeconomic foundations and industrial policy'
Rudolf Gouws, Chief Economist, Rand Merchant Bank
10h55-11h20 'The WTO and industrial policy: Labour Perspectives'
Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary, COSATU
11h20-11h45 Tea
11h45-12h50 Discussion
12h50-13h00 Closure, then Lunch
Download: Notes from the Roundtable [.pdf]
Press coverage: Engineering News Online - 19 Oct 2007
A Development Through Trade Programme Event
