Namibia eyes tougher trade toolkit

Namibia is seeking to strengthen its ability to shape trade policy and protect local industries through a proposed International Trade Management Bill that would establish a national trade commission.

Trade minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi told the National Assembly that the legislation would give Namibia greater capacity to analyse trade measures, respond to unfair competition and advance its interests in regional and international trade negotiations.

A stronger voice in trade talks

Ashipala-Musavyi said Namibia had often relied on regional processes, limiting its ability to develop evidence-based positions on trade matters.

“Within that framework, Namibia has too often depended on regional processes, in which our own capacity to analyse tariff applications, and to champion national interests, has been limited.”

The Bill would establish the Namibia International Trade Commission (NITC), which would be responsible for investigating trade matters, administering permits, advising the government and implementing trade remedies.

The commission would also collect and publish trade-related information, strengthening Namibia’s ability to assess the impact of trade measures on the domestic economy.

The proposed framework comes as Namibia seeks to advance industrialisation under NDP6 and increase its participation in higher-value economic activity.

Protecting local industry

The Bill provides Namibia with a wider set of tools to respond to imports that threaten domestic producers.

These include anti-dumping and countervailing measures, safeguards, quantitative restrictions and other measures where investigations establish market disturbance, unfair trade practices, subsidised imports or sudden increases in imports.

The legislation would also allow the government to support so-called infant industries through additional duties or quantitative restrictions on competing imports.

Industries could apply to be designated as infant industries, with such protection applying for a specified period.

The proposed system does not mean that tariffs or import restrictions would automatically be imposed. Instead, the NITC would investigate applications and make recommendations, with decisions subject to the framework established by the Bill.

Balancing protection with prices

The legislation also recognises the potential cost of trade protection.

Measures intended to support local producers can raise the cost of imported goods or inputs used by downstream businesses.

The Bill therefore provides for investigations and consultation before trade remedies are introduced, while allowing the minister to regulate imports and exports through prescribed conditions.

The minister would also have powers to develop policies covering rebates, refunds, drawbacks of customs duties and tariff changes.

Manufacturing at the centre

The government is positioning the legislation as part of its broader industrialisation agenda.

Ashipala-Musavyi has linked the Bill to NDP6, which seeks to increase the share of manufactured goods in Namibia’s total goods exports from 42% in 2024 to 60% by 2029/30.

The government also wants manufacturing’s contribution to GDP to rise from 10.6% to 18% over the same period.

The Bill is intended to provide the institutional and policy tools to support that ambition, including greater capacity to assess trade measures and protect industries where intervention is justified.

Tougher rules for trade

The proposed legislation would replace the Import and Export Control Act of 1994 with a broader framework covering international trade management.

It would give the commission powers to request trade information and conduct investigations, while investigating officers would have powers to inspect premises, documents and computer systems in specified circumstances.

The Bill also provides for offences, penalties and forfeiture of goods, with some violations carrying penalties of up to N$1 million and/or 10 years in prison.

Decisions by the commission could be subject to an internal review process before a matter is taken to the High Court.

The Bill still has to complete the parliamentary process before it can become law.