Mauritius has reiterated its commitment to advancing regional trade and removing barriers within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), calling for stronger cooperation among member states.
Ambassador Khemraj Jingree from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade delivered the message during the opening ceremony of the 59th SADC Trade Negotiating Forum (TNF) on Wednesday morning. The three-day forum is taking place at The Docks in Mauritius from 7 to 9 May 2025, bringing together about 70 delegates from across the region.
Ambassador Jingree said the SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) remains central to the region’s integration efforts, urging member states to accelerate negotiations that will eliminate trade barriers and boost industrial development. He warned that protectionist trade policies seen globally, including those previously adopted by the Trump administration, show why SADC must deepen its own integration to protect its economies. 
He also called for investments in value addition and sustainable industry development, noting that these efforts will help unlock economic opportunities and strengthen regional resilience.
Present at the meeting were SADC’s Director of Industrial Development and Trade, Mr Dhunraj Kassee, and the TNF Chairperson and Director of Trade from Angola, Mr Pedro Videira, alongside other regional trade officials.
This year’s TNF agenda includes reviewing implementation of decisions made at the SADC Summit and the 33rd SADC Committee of Ministers of Trade. Delegates are expected to deliberate on trade, customs, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, and the consolidation of the SADC Free Trade Area.
