South Africa on Wednesday pressed for revival of the negotiations for the proposed preferential trade agreement between India and five-nation Southern African Customs Union (SACU). South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies said that both the sides have their sensitivities but the effort should be to expedite the negotiations, which are on a ‘very slow track’.
“India has got its sensitivities, we have our sensitivities,” Davies told PTI in an interview. Citing an example, he said there are high taxes on wines in India and ‘we are pretty sensitive about our clothing and textiles. So, I think sensitivities there on both the sides’. When asked whether there is any deadline to conclude the negotiations, he said, “No we have not (fixed any deadline). It (has) gone on to a very slow track. We could agree to revive it.”