South Africa
Labour Market Policy Responses Amid Globalization: The Case of South Africa
The South African economy is one mired in a long-run low-level growth trap which has entrenched high levels of structural unemployment. Further and as is the case with many middle-income economies it has struggled with the domestic consequences emanating from a variety of exogenous economic shocks. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the case of contagion effects from the 2008 global crisis and trade-induced shocks – within a world economy that is increasingly defined by its interconnectedness. For South Africa the real economic impact has been most powerfully felt in the labour market with current and future employment threatened through these shocks. Thus the combination of high levels of structural unemployment and the adverse labour market effects associated with exposure to global shocks has necessitated the design of appropriate and effective labour market responses.
Why isn’t South Africa more proactive in international services negotiations?
Services are increasingly central to economic activity across the developing world and South Africa is no exception. By African standards the South African economy is quite diversified and has a robust services sector that in some areas exports competitively to developing countries and to developed markets. One would therefore expect to find the South African government assertively advancing these export interests through international trade negotiations while selectively liberalizing access to its domestic services markets in order to ensure their long-term competitiveness and to promote economywide benefits. While there has been some movement in the latter direction largely through unilateral reforms in recent years this has not translated into a proactive services trade negotiating strategy.
Streamlining South Africa’s export development efforts in sub-Saharan Africa: A Decision Support Model approach
Given its abundant natural resources and accelerating consumer-driven growth sub-Saharan Africa has much to offer investors and traders. Yet the region remains weakly integrated into global and regional value chains due to among other things geographical disadvantages infrastructural shortcomings high transport costs and difficult-to-access market intelligence – all of which add to the cost of trade. While not an insignificant player in international business and trade circles South Africa is facing shrinking demand in its traditional export markets and has to plot a new economic course after decades of overreliance on commodity exports and value-added imports. This chapter looks at how a market selection tool the Decision Support Model (DSM) can streamline the process of identifying export opportunities particularly at an intra-regional level. Covering both products and services and adaptable to different countries’ circumstances the DSM simplifies market selection decisions by pinpointing both short- and longer-term business opportunities in high-potential sectors while also exposing market access barriers that could become the focus of specific efficiency-enhancing interventions. In this way the DSM can be a valuable aid to trade facilitation.
Australie - Certaines mesures concernant les marques de fabrique ou de commerce, les indications géographiques et autres prescriptions en matière d’emballage neutre applicables aux produits du tabac et à leur emballage
Le 9 juin 2020 l’Organe d’appel a remis ses rapports dans les procédures engagées par le Honduras et la République dominicaine dans l’affaire “Australie — Certaines mesures concernant les marques de fabrique ou de commerce les indications géographiques et autres prescriptions en matière d’emballage neutre applicables aux produits du tabac et à leur emballage” (DS435 et DS441).
États-Unis - Certaines mesures visant les produits en acier et en aluminium
Le 11 juillet 2019 l’OMC a distribué deux rapports du Groupe spécial chargé des affaires “États-Unis — Certaines mesures visant les produits en acier et en aluminium” (DS550) et “États-Unis — Certaines mesures visant les produits en acier et en aliminium” (DS551) introduites par le Canada et le Mexique respectivement.
United States - Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products
On 11 July 2019 the WTO circulated two panel report in the cases brought by Canada and Mexico in “United States — Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products” (DS550) and “United States — Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products” (DS551).