The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Mpho Parks Tau, has published the Draft Block Exemption for the Promotion of Exports, 2025, for public comment in terms of section 10(10) of the Competition Act, 1998, after consultation with the Competition Commission.
The purpose of the proposed regulations is to give effect to the objectives of the Act as outlined in section 2, by exempting certain categories of agreements or practices in export markets from the application of sections 4(1)(a), 4(1)(b)(i), 4(1)(b)(ii) and 5(1). The exemption is intended to mitigate the economic impact of increased tariffs and to strengthen the resilience and growth of South African exports.
Exempted activities include coordination to achieve economies of scale, share landed costs, jointly finance and develop export infrastructure, share market information, reduce logistics costs, collectively market South African goods, and jointly negotiate export protocols and compliance standards.
The regulations exclude market allocation, collusive tendering, resale price maintenance, and mergers. Firms seeking to participate must obtain written confirmation from the Competition Commission that their proposed agreement or practice falls within the scope before implementation.
Comments must be submitted within 15 business days of publication to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, for the attention of Dr Ivan Galodikwe, via email at az.vog.citdeht@ewkidolaG, or delivered to 3rd Floor, Block E, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside, 0132.
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