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7.14. Multilaterally, South Africa adopts a developmental approach that seeks to address existing imbalances in the rules; secure policy space to pursue industrialization, and ensure new challenges (e.g. pandemic, environment, and climate change) are addressed on the basis of fairness and equity. (...)

8.2. South Africa remains convinced that efforts to industrialization, increase in manufacturing value-added products, increased exports and implementation of regional industrialization through the programmes of SACU, SADC and the AfCFTA is fundamental to placing our economy on a new path of sustainable growth. (...)

1.5. This Statement frames South Africa trade policy and its international trade engagements on South Africa's industrial policy objectives. (...) The final sections set out South Africa's broad policy approach to the trade aspects of three issues that are high on the international policy-making agenda: Boosting vaccine production to address the COVID-19 pandemic, digitisation and environmental sustainability.

1.37. South Africa is committed to environmental sustainability as part of the overall UN Sustainable Development Goals. Meeting these objectives will require significant transformation in patterns of global production, consumption and distribution. The Paris Treaty sets out a coherent framework to effect a green transition and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It requires that advanced economies undertake and meet their nationally determined reduction commitments and also provide finance and technology to assist countries with less capability and resources to undertake the needed economic transformation.

1.38. While there are considerable opportunities for a range of green industrialization initiatives, forging greater coherence between the UNFCCC framework and WTO rules will be essential. Multilateral discussions are required on a range of matters including on intellectual property, technology transfer, subsidies as well as the application of product standards and labelling to ensure that measures are mutually supportive and do not unduly shift the burden of adjustment to developing countries.

1.39. Unilateral trade measures, such as border adjustment taxes on the carbon content on imports, could undermine coherence in multilateral climate policy-making. Border taxes that penalize already resource and financially constrained economies will make their economic transformation more challenging and it would be difficult to justify such measures if they are imposed on countries that have taken on – and are meeting – their national commitments under the UNFCCC. (...)

1.40. (...) To maintain a coherent multilateral framework to enable climate action, trade measures should be carefully calibrated, timed and sequenced with green technology transfer and financing for many developing countries to effect the green transition. As global public goods, the challenges of environmental sustainability and their trade-related aspects need to be addressed multilaterally, through international cooperation and dialogue for legitimacy and for sustainability.

1.41. A conclusion of negotiations on fishery subsidies at the WTO can contribute to our environmental sustainability objectives. The outcome should ensure countries that provide the largest subsidies that result in over-capacity and over-fishing undertake significant reduction commitments while providing space for developing countries to support artisanal, subsistence and commercial fishing in a sustainable manner.

1.42. Trade policy must support South Africa's industrial development objectives to drive sustainable growth, to generate decent well-paying jobs and to widen economic inclusion, including for women and youth. (...)

1.45. Multilateralism remains vital to address transnational challenges. The public health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental challenges, including climate change, underscore the necessity for strengthened multilateral cooperation and dialogue. (...)