Report of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), dated 14 April 2010:

The Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, having considered the request for approval by Parliament of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), recommends that the House, in terms of section 231 (2) of the Constitution, approve the said Agreement.

The Committee would like to request that the House take into account the following challenges:

1. The lack of engagement between the respective parliamentary committees of the SACU and Mercosur countries to promote the agreement; and
2. The capacity constraints of our customs authority to monitor our borders effectively with respect to the compliance of imported goods with the rules of origin considerations and to ensure that measures are put in place to address this.