Ezulwini – A national workshop aimed at establishing Eswatini’s own consultative mechanism for tariffs and trade remedies took place on Monday, with support from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Secretariat.
The session, hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, was designed to lay the foundation for an inclusive platform that allows government, the private sector, and civil society to engage effectively on trade policy.
Standing in for the Principal Secretary, Dr Celucolo Dludlu said the workshop is intended to equip Eswatini with the tools and structure needed to influence tariff decisions within SACU, aligning them with the country’s industrialisation goals.
He pointed out that tariffs remain a strategic tool for driving industrial growth and economic competitiveness, and that Eswatini must be better positioned to initiate or respond to changes in the Common External Tariff (CET) structure.
The session comes as SACU itself is reviewing its internal processes, with tariff-setting among the key areas under consideration.
Participants included officials from the ministry, members of the business community, and civil society representatives.
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