THE DURBAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY NPC WARMLY WELCOMES THE APPROVAL OF THE AGOA BILL EXTENSION

The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC warmly welcomes the approval of the AGOA Bill Extension. As organised business, we believe that if this decision is passed, it will benefit not only large businesses but also our SMMEs.

This approval will provide relief for our SMMEs that are exporting by reducing tariff pressures and will bring much-needed stability should the bill be passed. Furthermore, this bill will help greatly in strengthening South Africa as a manufacturing hub, positioning the country as a key international player, while also contributing to the reduction of the influx of cheap goods.

Not only will this impact businesses, but it will also indirectly impact job creation, reduce unemployment, and improve business confidence in South Africa. It has the potential to enable us to leverage our unique economic architecture, particularly the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the Port to drive GDP growth.

The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC strongly believes that government needs to ensure that they put aside their differences for the benefit of the country, while ensuring that we uphold our principles.As organised business, we will continue to support this decision, and we will be following this matter andUS–SA relations very closely to keep our members informed, as we believe that this agreement will further enhance our resilient economy.