As international tariffs are being reduced, increased attention is being given to the role of non-tariff measures (NTMs). In many cases these NTMs have been there all the time, but as the tariff barriers have been high, trade has not been extant, and therefore the NTMs have not been visible. In other cases, ‘creative’ new barriers are being erected to replace the role of tariffs in protecting markets. Either way, the net result is the same: NTMs are important as they are restricting trade.

tralac, in collaboration with Stellenbosch University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and the Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS), has undertaken research looking at non-tariff measures inhibiting South African exports to China and India. The study which is in no way prescriptive provides a background on NTMs and some of the challenges that South African exporters encounter when trading with these emerging economies.

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