In a significant step towards enhancing trade efficiency and regional integration, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) with support from the European Union (EU), under the Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) has launched the Report of the Time Release Study (TRS) along the North South Corridor (NSC). The event took place in Harare, Republic of Zimbabwe on 7th February 2025.
The TRS was developed to assist SADC Member States in addressing bottlenecks, cumbersome procedures, and uncoordinated operations among border agencies, while also tackling inadequate infrastructure. The initiative aims to reduce the cost of doing business at ports and border posts, thereby boosting intra-regional trade among SADC Member States. Commissioned by the SADC Secretariat, the report seeks to identify bottlenecks and streamline processes affecting the timely release of goods.
The TRS serves as an international model instrument to evaluate the time taken for goods transactions and clearance across the supply chain. Within the SADC region, the TRS along the North South Trade Corridor represents the first comprehensive study of this strategic route, assessing efficiency in the clearance of goods at major seaports and border posts. This extensive study provides crucial insights into the performance of customs clearance, transport, and logistics systems along the corridor, which extends from the port of Durban in South Africa to Kasumbalesa in Zambia via Beitbridge border post and Chirundu One Stop Border Post (OSBP) in Zimbabwe.
The TRS is a flagship Trade Facilitation Instrument supporting the implementation of the Regional Industrialization Strategy, anchored in the regional value chain as part of consolidating the SADC Free Trade Area, in line with the Regional Indicative Strategy Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030.
For more information on this story visit the SADC website on: https://www.sadc.int/latest-news/sadc-launches-time-release-study-report-north-south-trade-corridor-bolster-trade-