South Africa and the GATT

After years of political isolation from the multilateral trading system, South Africa is now being required not only to conform to the existing provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), but also to sign on to the Uruguay Round, which means further commitments to trade liberalization. These circumstances, together with the deteriorating performance of South Africa's traditional exports, have led to introspection and debate in the fields of trade and industry policy. Some new thinking in the field of trade policy is reflected in South Africa's current offers to the GATT, but the policies are partially formed and far from complete.