South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors and a stock exchange that is the 15th largest in the world. Even though the country possesses modern infrastructure that support a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, some components retard growth.
The economy began to slow in the second half of 2007 due to an electricity crisis. State power supplier Eskom encountered problems with aging plants and meeting electricity demand necessitating "load-shedding" cuts in 2007 and 2008 to residents and businesses in the major cities. Subsequently, the global financial crisis reduced commodity prices and world demand.
GDP fell nearly 2% in 2009 but has recovered since then. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality remain a challenge, with official unemployment at nearly 25% of the work force.
State power supplier Eskom has built two new power stations and installed new power demand management programs to improve power grid reliability.
South Africa's economic policy has focused on controlling inflation, however, the country has had significant budget deficits that restrict its ability to deal with pressing economic problems. The current government faces growing pressure from special interest groups to use state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth. (Source: World Factbook, 2013)
Copy of letter sent by US Senators Coons and Isakson to South Africa's President Zuma, September 2015. This relates to the 'poultry' issue in the context of the South Africa Out-Of-Cycle Review under AGOA. The Senators urged South African...
ITAC - DRAFT guidelines for for the application of a DAFF quota allocation (for imports of poultry) permit - 30 Oct 2015. Background: The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) and the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and...
A temporary rebate provision under rebate item 460.03/0207.14.9/01.07 has been created for frozen meat of the species Gallus domesticus, cut in pieces with bone in, classifiable in tariff subheading 0207.14.9 and imported from or originating in...
