Back to Agoa again?

Will there be, or won’t there be? That’s the question. Will there be a sequel to a sequel – a third instalment? Will there be a Part III of Agoa, which was introduced on May 18, 2000, when it was... 

Betting big on Ecoterms

Yes, you read correctly; it’s not a spelling error. Were you thinking that instead of the ‘E’ there should have been an ‘In’, and therefore it should read ‘Incoterms®’? As to why ‘Ecoterms’ is... 

Protecting South Africa’s chrome future

The word ‘chrome’ originates from the Greek word chrōma, meaning ‘colour’. The chemical element chromium was named by French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin in 1797, inspired by its vibrant colours... 

Palm oil: handle with permit

‘Oleum’? Any guesses? It’s a Latin word, derived from the Ancient Greek word ‘élaion’, meaning ‘olive oil’, which evolved to simply ‘oil’. ‘Wītanan’ is the Germanic root word meaning “to see”. From... 

Baiting a better future

Where were you on Monday, September 15? What were you doing? Too personal? Well, then, but I genuinely hope that you did something nice, even memorable. If you were less inspired, instead keeping... 

High hopes for hemp

Hemp, a plant that, along with bamboo, is the world’s fastest-growing, falls within the botanical class of cannabis sativa cultivars, which are cultivated for industrial and consumable use.... 

WEIDE fund

Does it ring a bell? As it is the year of the sequel, you might want to cast your mind back to the column of October 11, 2024, titled  ‘Women exporters’ fund’. The fund’s full name is Women... 

Borderless vision in focus

The ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development was held in Yokohama, Japan, from August 20 to 22, with one of the thematic events, ‘Paving the Way to Africa’s Single Market:... 

Metal review II

It truly is the year of sequels. By now, you might be wondering how many sequels there must be before a reboot happens. According to my search engine, there is no set number – reboots are a... 

Calling America

“Can’t get a message through; Calling America, that’s what she said to do, … She left a number I could call; But no one’s there, no one at all; There must be something going wrong; That number just... 

Cock-a-doodle-doo

“Since the beginning of the seventh administration, South Africa [has] embarked on a process to stabilize and enhance mutually beneficial trade and investment relations with the US.” Have you... 

Asystole finances

Fun fact (a word of caution for experimental readers: do not try this at home) – if all the veins in your body were laid out in a straight line, you would die, as your circulation system would no... 

Ratite reckoning

Can it survive the ‘nervous nineties’ and reach a 100 not out? In case you are keeping score, it has survived for 33 419 days, but the real question is about the next 3 061. It seems that, similar... 

Happytalism

How happy are you? You might rightly question the means of measurement to provide a coherent response. In case you need reminding, ‘happiness’ is defined as a sense of wellbeing, joy or contentment... 

Another butterfly

What were you doing on September 20, 2019? What made the day memorable? If you do not remember reading an article in this column titled ‘Butterfly approach to trade’, then you should sense my... 

Technical tariff amendments

The article published in this column on September 13, 2024, bearing the same headline, dealt with the issue of what a ‘technical tariff amendment’ is. It was also mentioned that the South African... 

The lender’s servant

Full disclosure: the article you are about to read is the fourth in a series, technically known as a tetralogy, where ‘tetra’ means four. When rummaging through this column’s archives, its link to... 

Limbo or mediocris?

Want to venture a guess, calculated or otherwise, as to what this week’s column is all about? Does the title offer a hint? To contextualise, when considering the South African economy and its... 

In the post?

Before we get to the crux of this week’s column, there is a small challenge for you to overcome: a riddle that holds the key to the column, as it were. Here goes: “I start with the letter ‘E’, and... 

Free WTO e-learning

With the midpoint of the year merely days away (at the time of writing), you might find yourself reflecting on the year so far (glass half empty) or imaging what still lies ahead (glass half full).... 

Fee trade – the sequel

To fully appreciate this column, grab your calendar and calculator or prepare to do some mental maths. Start with May 16 and June 21 of 2024. How many days passed between the two dates? On both... 

Brace! Brace! Brace!

Is the third time the charm? The idiom, without the ‘is’ and the question mark, expresses the hope that a third attempt at something will succeed after two failed attempts. If you do not like the... 

I-T-A-C

Want to play a word game? How many five-letter words can you make with the letters I, T, A and C in any position? If you are up for the challenge, it might well help to improve your Wordle® skills.... 

A scrap of evidence

You might be reading this article after the May 23 deadline for comments on the ‘Price Preference System (PPS) Discount on Ferrous Scrap’. But this does not mean you should stop reading. Instead,... 

In-bred tariff

AI Overview is a feature in Google Search that uses generative AI “to provide concise overviews of topics based on information from various sources”. It says of the headline of this piece: “It is... 

Customs in a clean age

If you are involved in the renewable energy value chain – specifically the solar PV value chain, wind energy value chain, and battery energy storage system (BESS) value chain – then your... 

Apophenia

There is a belief that things – especially bad things – happen in threes, which both my grandmothers swore by. However, sceptics see this as mere superstition rooted in cognitive bias, where we... 

Rope-a-dope

I am standing at the top of the ‘Rocky Steps’, from the iconic scene in the 1976 Rocky movie, where Rocky Balboa runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was a 72-step climb,... 

Iko Iko

“My bestie and your bestie sit down by the fire; Your bestie says: So, can we make these flames go higher?” If you're unaware, these lyrics come from Justin Wellington’s 2020 hit, Iko Iko. I’ve... 

Metal review

If you are involved in the manufacture and import of iron and steel, or articles made of these materials, as well as articles made of base metal, then you may want to consider responding to an... 

Flightless job retention

Listen very carefully; I shall say this only once: “Bolstering employment through job retention!” What do you make of such a slogan? You might find it uninspiring, point out its contradictions or... 

It’s nuts!

The headline of this piece is a colloquial expression meaning something is crazy, foolish or strange, or that someone is acting irrationally or eccentrically. Speaking of nuts, have you ever... 

Origin agreement celebrated

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) recently held the forty-third meeting of its Technical Committee on Rules of Origin (TCRO) in Brussels, Belgium, under the banner of ‘Three Decades of... 

AGRT or AGTR?

No way out

Where would it be more appropriate to write about tariffs than in the Roof Terrace and Lounge at 38°53′49.1″N, 77°1′59.8″W – Hotel Washington. It is only a stone’s throw away from 38.8977″N,... 

Raising a glass

A glass or a glass tariff? Now, what type of glass and, for that matter, is it actually a tariff? It might well be a bit premature for you to provide an answer. As for glass manufacturing, can... 

Shaping customs future

Do you still have space on your New Year’s resolution list or want to make a change? Or does the list already need an overhaul? If a change or refocusing is required, and if you are a customs and... 

Flight or fright?

What do you do when your local produce cannot compete in your domestic market? And, before answering, what should your priority be? You pursue an export-driven strategy as your focus. Want to guess... 

Nailing it?

Abraham Maslow, of ‘hierarchy of needs’ fame, in his 1966 book, The Psychology of Science, referenced an earlier quote from Abraham Kaplan, the first philosopher to systematically examine the... 

Termination or extermination?

At times like these, I am reminded of the sagacious words of my grandfather: “If you are not confused, then you do not have all the fact.” Irene Peter offers a slightly different reflection: “If...