• The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has launched its new Export Barrier Monitoring Mechanism. 
• The mechanism is meant to make it easier for South African companies to export goods. 
• Officials say almost 100 barriers to export were removed during the pilot phase of the programme. 

Resolution plans, engagements with foreign governments and troubleshooting for producers of export goods will be a mere email away if the Ebrahim Patel-led Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s newly launched Export Barrier Monitoring Mechanism works as intended.

The department launched the mechanism on Monday to respond to the barriers to trade that exporting producers and investors experience when accessing markets outside the country.

While the closure of ports of at the start of of the Covid-19 pandemic brought trade to a near halt, the complexities of an interconnected global economy have meant that for years bureaucracy, delays and changes in policies obstructed exporters' hopes of accessing new markets.

The department said companies reporting challenges to the Export Barrier Monitoring Mechanism can expect to receive "dedicated government support, with a comprehensive resolution strategy developed for each individual barrier".

Deputy Director General, Lerato Mataboge, said producers of export products operated in a challenging environment, with an average of 154.5 customs requirements placed on them. 

She said the department was confident that the mechanism would help exporters make inroads into new markets soon, as 96 of 104 export barriers were removed during the pilot phase of the mechanism.

"Investors are also welcome to use the platform. In fact, we encourage them to do so. We also are going to use this mechanism and platform to trigger early warning systems on markets that will make trade policy changes," said Mataboge.

Director of international operations, Christopher Wood, said the mechanism would offer exporters technical engagement by dedicated officials. 

"This offers a single channel to report export barriers. It's often quite complex to know who to turn to and which officials to rely on. The key thing you get when you report is an official that is assigned to deal with your specific barrier.

"If you and other companies report a specific barrier and we will put together some cross-cutting mechanisms to resolve the barrier and make arrangements for other firms experiencing similar challenges," said Wood.

Reports filed by companies are confidential, and anything an exporter believes is limiting their ability to export goods beyond SA can be reported.

"After you report, we want to be as responsive as possible to what you have told us. You can be assured that within 24 hours you will receive acknowledgement. Withing three days you will be connected with a dedicated official. Within a week we begin engagements to get to a resolution," Wood said.