Eswatini's trade policy is strategically designed to leverage its unique position within a customs union while securing preferential access to major global and continental markets.

• Customs Union (SACU):
  • As a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) since its inception, Eswatini is part of World’s oldest and most integrated customs union.
  • Benefit: It shares a Common External Tariff (CET) and enjoys duty-free, quota-free trade with South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Lesotho, providing seamless access to the regional economic powerhouse.
• Global & Bilateral Market Access:
  • World Trade Organisation (WTO): A founding member, ensuring its trade practices are aligned with global standards.
  • SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): This vital agreement provides Eswatini with duty-free, quota-free access to the entire European Union market, which is the primary destination for its sugar exports.
  • USA (AGOA): Eswatini is eligible for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), granting its exports, particularly textiles and apparel, preferential access to the U.S. market. This will require renewal as it has since expired as of October 2025
• Continental Integration (AfCFTA):
  • Eswatini has ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, positioning itself to leverage its manufacturing base to supply the wider African market with value-added goods.
• Investment Promotion:
  • Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA): This is the national agency responsible for promoting and facilitating foreign direct investment, providing investor support, and identifying opportunities.

While traditionally reliant on agriculture, Eswatini is actively diversifying its economy by adding value to its natural resources and expanding its established manufacturing sectors.

• Current Trade Snapshot:
  • Primary Exports: Dominated by Sugar and sugar-derived products (e.g., ethanol), soft drink concentrates, and textiles.
  • Key Imports: Fuel, machinery, vehicles, and food products, indicating opportunities for further industrialisation and import substitution.

• Focus on Manufacturing & Value Addition:
  • Sugar & Biofuels Value Chain:
    • Strategy: Moving beyond exporting raw sugar to higher-value products.
    • Value Addition:Eswatini is a significant producer of ethanol from sugarcane molasses, a renewable biofuel with growing export demand. Further opportunities exist in specialty sugars and confectionery production.
  • Forestry & Wood Products:
    • Resource: The country has a large and sustainable forestry sector, primarily cultivating pine and eucalyptus.
    • Value Addition:The focus is on increasing domestic processing of timber into finished goods like sawn lumber, pulp, and furniture components, rather than exporting raw logs.
  • Textile & Apparel Hub:
    • Established Sector: Eswatini has a well-established textile and apparel industry, which is a major employer and exporter, primarily to the US (under AGOA) and South Africa.
    • Growth: Opportunities for growth lie in moving into higher-value garments, using sustainable materials, and integrating into regional fashion value chains.
  • Food Processing & Agribusiness:
    • Leveraging its agricultural base, there is significant potential to grow the food processing sector, including canning of fruits, meat processing, and dairy production.

Eswatini's land-linked geography is turned into a strategic advantage through efficient logistics corridors, modern customs, and streamlined border operations.

• Strategic Logistics Corridors:
  • Maputo Corridor: Eswatini is a key country on this major transport corridor, which provides a fast and efficient route connecting its industrial heartland to the deep-water Port of Maputo in Mozambique, a major gateway for international trade.
• Efficient Customs & Borders:
  • Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS): The ERS is focused on trade facilitation through customs modernization, risk-based inspections, and automation to speed up clearance times.
  • Border Efficiency: Major border posts, such as Ngwenya/Oshoek, are highly efficient, facilitating the large volume of trade that flows between Eswatini and South Africa.
• Digitalisation of Trade:
  • National Single Window: Eswatini is developing a National Single Window system. This digital platform will enable traders to submit all required documentation electronically through a single portal, significantly improving efficiency and transparency in trade processes.