Zimbabwe urged to delay EPA implementation with EU

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has urged the government to renegotiate the implementation date of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) until the country’s industry achieves further recovery. News agency New Ziana quoted the CZI president Joseph Kanyekanye on Wednesday as saying that Zimbabwe’s industry was still fragile and was unlikely to have fully recovered to be in a position to compete with goods from Europe by 2013. The country signed an interim EPA in 2008 under which it agreed to open up at least 45 percent of its market to goods from Europe by 2013 and to increase the proportion to 80 percent by 2022. Kanyekanye said it would be prudent for the country to renegotiate the implementation date as the influx of goods from Europe would present a threat to local industry.

Source: Agence Centre Afrique Presse