By IANS
Lusaka : The European Union will open its market on a duty-free basis for products from countries in the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) region from Jan 1, 2008.
Erastus Mwencha, secretary general of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), announced the decision while addressing the media on the outcome of the just ended ESA-European Commission (EC) meeting in Brussels.
South African news agency Bua News quoted Mwencha as saying that the ESA countries would be able to export their products to Europe duty-free except in the case of sugar and rice.
The ESA would also begin the process of liberalising its markets, without touching their tariffs under a decade long moratorium, and a transitional period of up to 25 years, he said.