Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
SACU is the world's oldest existing customs union, tracing its origins to 1910 and reconstituted under a new agreement in 2002. It comprises five member states and operates on a Common External Tariff (CET) with a shared customs revenue pool — a structural feature that distinguishes a customs union from a simple free trade area, where members retain independent external tariffs.
- Five members: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini
- Reconstituted via the 2002 SACU Agreement; Secretariat headquartered in Windhoek, Namibia
- Common External Tariff (CET) plus a Common Revenue Pool distinguish it from an FTA, where each member sets its own external tariff independently
● Tracked since March 11, 2026 · last seen August 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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