Article
AgriSA and Agbiz call for deeper agricultural trade across BRICS markets
Published: 10/09/2026
This morning, Agbiz and AgriSA, as part of the BRICS Business Council, participated in the Agribusiness Working Group meetings taking place alongside the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India.
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
This morning, Agbiz and AgriSA,
as part of the BRICS Business Council, participated in the Agribusiness Working
Group meetings taking place alongside the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India.
The Working Group considered a
range of priorities and recommendations for BRICS leaders, including bridging
agricultural productivity gaps among member countries, promoting sustainable
and climate-smart agricultural practices, sharing knowledge on scientific
advances and seed development, and deepening agricultural trade as a means of
strengthening food security.
From a South African
agribusiness perspective, there is a strong case for BRICS countries to deepen
agricultural trade on fair and commercially meaningful terms, particularly in
the current environment of intensifying geopolitical tensions, conflict and
rising import tariffs.
While not all BRICS members may
currently be ready for a comprehensive agricultural free trade agreement, the
potential for such an arrangement should remain under consideration. In the
interim, practical steps can be taken to reduce existing barriers and
facilitate greater agricultural trade among member countries.
“The BRICS countries import over
US$300 billion of agricultural products annually. China and India account for
the lion’s share of these imports. The Middle East also has a sizeable share of
agricultural imports from the world market. Key agricultural products imported
by the BRICS grouping include, among others, various grains and oilseeds,
fruits, wine, beef, pork and poultry products,” says Wandile Sihlobo,
Chairperson of the BRICS Business Council Agribusiness Working Group.
Higher tariffs and complex or
unnecessarily restrictive sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements
continue to constrain deeper agricultural trade within BRICS. Some BRICS
countries currently enjoy more favourable trading terms with markets outside the
grouping than with fellow BRICS members, contributing to relatively limited
intra-BRICS agricultural trade. Addressing this misalignment has become
increasingly important as the grouping expands.
South African agribusinesses and
farming communities are therefore calling for practical action to explore
opportunities to reduce import tariffs and address non-tariff barriers among
BRICS members.
A coordinated trade facilitation
approach could focus on:
- Tariffs and market access: improving
transparency and coordination across priority commodities and trade
corridors, while exploring opportunities to progressively lower tariff
barriers.
- SPS alignment and trade
facilitation: improving regulatory cooperation and exploring pilot
mutual recognition arrangements to reduce unnecessary duplication and
delays.
AgriSA and Agbiz remain
committed to deepening agricultural trade, expanding market opportunities and
strengthening meaningful commercial relationships across BRICS markets. From a
business perspective, the priority is to create the practical conditions that
enable farmers and agribusinesses to trade more effectively through improved
market access, fewer unnecessary trade barriers, greater regulatory
predictability and more efficient trade facilitation.
In an increasingly complex
global trading environment, stronger agricultural trade relationships can
contribute to more resilient value chains, diversified markets and greater food
security across BRICS economies.
For further information,
contact:
Wandile Sihlobo
wandile@agbiz.co.za
Simóhn Engelbrecht
simohn@agrisa.org.za