South Africa

Trade policy-making is a complex affair. In all countries a host of factors influence the outcome, with the mix varying according to domestic circumstances and the relationship of the country concerned with the global economy. As the introductory chapter of this book attests, strictly state-centric explanations regarding how trade policy decisions are made are no longer sufficient in a world where international trade negotiations increasingly impinge on domestic policies. Therefore, a nuanced understanding of how trade policy is made is required, and must interrogate the roles of non-state actors (NSAs), institutions and ideas, and their interactions with each other, in shaping preferences and policy.