Despite an array of trade reforms undertaken to integrate the country into the international community, South Africa's performance in international trade has remained dismal, primarily due to its customs procedures and documentation, coupled with resulting high transaction costs. The facilitation of trade and integration into the international community has therefore been a challenging issue for South Africa. Recently, the republic has embarked upon reforming its existing customs regimes, by enacting new legislation that will replace the prevailing Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964. This article attempts to analyse how far these reforms will adhere to the World Trade Organization's disciplines on trade facilitation that call for harmonization and simplification of customs related rules. The author evaluates the provisions of this new legislation in order to assess whether South Africa is ready to undertake the obligations imposed by the Agreement on Trade Facilitation.
