The much awaited, new-look Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) website, with its online Reporting and Monitoring mechanism for NTBs, has been launched. The system is ‘the tool’ for use buy all economic operators such as business, government and related institutions, researchers, and other trade-sector stakeholders from the 26 countries in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern African States (COMESA), East African Community (EAC), and Southern African Development Community (SADC), to report all barriers that slow down commerce.
The site allows stakeholders to report and then to monitor the resolution process for all barriers, other than tariffs, encountered in the course of cross-border and intra-regional trade. It has a comprehensive database with country information on reported non-tariff barriers, regulatory and technical requirements, and market information for exporters and importers.
The NTBs website facilitates a systematic and transparent process of reporting and resolving identified barriers to trade, thereby increasing the pace at which NTBs are acted upon by relevant authorities across the region. Non-tariff barriers need to be eliminated if higher levels of inter and intra -regional trade are to be achieved.
The website has been developed with the support of TradeMark Southern Africa.
* It can be accessed here
