JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- BRICS countries should establish faster, more streamlined mechanisms and eliminate remaining barriers to facilitate intra-bloc trade, said a South African business executive on Wednesday.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Wolfe Braude, a manager at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, said the potential of intra-BRICS trade is not being fully unleashed due to bureaucratic bottlenecks. For some businesses, lengthy paperwork can significantly delay the start of trade with BRICS partners.
"There is a potential in BRICS to structure and have a formal way -- a commercial agreement to facilitate trade. It could be a technocratic machinery like a web of regional trade structures, rules, and standards before moving on to politics," said Braude.
Braude said trade could move more smoothly if technical experts from both countries first reached agreements on product standards, allowing market access to follow. "We are concerned that some lengthy procedures must be followed before actual trade can take place," said Braude.
Braude said China recently approved five varieties of South African stone fruit for the first time, a move he described as encouraging. He said South Africa has the potential to export a wider range of products to other BRICS markets as similar approvals are secured.
"We would like to see the expansion of trade within BRICS. We want to see intra-BRICS trade in different agricultural products. There is a potential for expansion or doubling the current trade," he added.
Braude said they are not calling for lower standards, but urging BRICS countries to ease trade terms and procedures.
He said there is strong potential for a wider range of agricultural products, including wine, beetroot and other fruits, to be exported to China and India. China, in particular, offers significant opportunities due to its large population, well-developed infrastructure and rising average incomes. ■