WT/REG443/2  
 
8 January  2024 
(24-0170) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  Original: English  
 
  
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN CUSTOMS UNION (SACU) AND MOZAMBIQUE  
(GOODS)  
QUESTIONS AND REPLIES  
 The following communication, dated 12 December 2023, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegations of the United Kingdom and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and 
Mozambique.   
 
 This document reproduces the follow -up question addressed to the Parties following 
the 108th  Session of the CRTA and the response submitted.  
 
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Question from the United States  
1.1.  The empowerment of women and youth in Africa to access and benefit from trade 
will be critical to fostering sustainable, inclusive and long -lasting economic growth and 
development on the continent. However, major challenges, such as youth unemployment, 
weak networks, and inadequate access to financial services for women, stand to 
jeopardize this core goal.  
a. Could the parties discuss how women and youth stand to benefit from the 
agreement?  
b. Could the parties outline any specific measures or scopes of work fo cused on 
these groups in the agreement?  
Response from the United Kingdom  
 
 The agreement includes a number of development cooperation provisions which aim to 
enhance the competitiveness of the SACUM Partner States ' economies and deepen regional 
integratio n. Our UK Trade Partnerships Programme has made it easier for firms to trade by: 
increasing access to information; supporting compliance with market standards; providing training 
on trade and customs procedures. The EPA enables the UK and SACUM partners to  maintain a 
dialogue on development issues, including women and youth empowerment, through the EPA 's 
institutional frameworks.  
 
 Increasing women 's and youth participation in international trade is an integral element of 
advancing women 's and youth econom ic empowerment. Trade leads to growth, creating 
opportunities and jobs across economies, but the benefits are not always experienced evenly by all 
groups. Despite trade policies and agreements not being discriminatory, there is evidence that trade 
outcomes  vary by gender.  Our objective for trade and gender equality is to break down barriers and 
create opportunities for women, as business owners, entrepreneurs, workers, and consumers.  
 
 Under the Trade Forward Southern Africa (TFSA) programme, targeted secto r intervention for 
selected Value Chains were delivered to address Non -Tariff Barriers (NTBs) that limit firms ' access 
to export markets and facilitate their compliance with regulatory and standards requirements as well 
as the less tangible costs related t o distance to market across SACUM. One cross -cutting theme WT/REG443/2  
 
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  across all sectors and all countries was the focus on empowering women entrepreneurs to increase 
their participation in export trade. The programme achieved this outcome through partnering with 
women-focused organisations and targeting sectors with high participation of women in the 
workforce. As a result, of the total 651 individuals reached with training, 478 were women.  
 
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