Directorate of International Trade

 

The Directorate of International Trade is the focal point and national coordinator of Namibia’s membership to regional and multilateral trade arrangements and economic groupings:

Southern African Customs Union (SACU),
Southern African Development Community (SADC),
Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
SACU-European Free Trade Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) Trade Agreement
SACU-MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay) Trade Agreement
SACU-India Preferential Trade Agreement

EPA Agreement

The key functions of the Directorate are:

Formulation and implementation of Namibia’s external trade policy that:

  • safeguards Namibia’s interest and contributes towards building an equitable multilateral trading system that facilitates and strengthens regional and continental integration and beneficial trade links;
  • Preserves the policy space to advance and enhance Namibia’s industrial and economic development and employment creation objectives.

External Trade Development

  • Formulating and spearheading the implementation of Namibia’s export development and promotion strategy;
  • Creating conditions that would enhance increased exports of Namibian exports, with particular emphasis on high value and value added products;
  • Engaging in negotiations at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels to secure, consolidate and expand trade links, preferential market access and conditions for Namibian exports;
  • Promoting intra-regional trade and regional economic integration as an important platform for integration into the global economy
  • Increasing export capacity by enhancing existing capacity and the development of new potentials.

Trade and export facilitation services:

  • Financial and logistical assistance to local enterprises to take part and exhibit their products at trade fairs and expositions
  • Collection and dissemination of trade information and analysis market opportunities
  • Issuance of permits for import and export of goods and services
  • Networking with local exporters and umbrella business organisations