Zim seeks to amend Botswana Trade Agreement

The Botswana-Zimbabwe 1988 BPTA calls for reciprocal duty-free trade on all products grown, wholly produced, or manufactured wholly or partly from imported inputs subject to 25 percent local content requirements.
Zimbabwe wanted the amendment of BPTA of 1988 so that it can trade under the auspices of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and enjoy all the business done under the trade board.

Sacu comprises five countries - Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa. The union formed in 1969 aims to maintain the free interchange of goods between member countries.
Confidential minutes of a meeting held in Botswana last month between Zimbabwe Trade and Industry ministry senior officials and their Botswana counterparts show that Zimbabwe failed to railroad its proposals for the amendment of BPTA.
The meeting was held in Gaborone on March 29 and the minutes were compiled by Botswana's Ministry of Trade and Industry.