In the current world of trade fragmentation, one area the BRICS countries should consider focusing on more in their deliberations this year is deepening intra-BRICS trade. For South Africa's agriculture, this has been a central input in various discussions for some time, reflecting our desire to expand export markets to the BRICS countries, as well as the potential that lies in this region.

Currently, South African agricultural exports to the BRICS remain relatively low (at less than 10% of our agricultural exports to the world, which are US$13.7 billion as of 2024). The BRICS group is not a trade bloc, which partly explains our low agricultural penetration.

However, this may be an opportune time to change this reality and explore a more ambitious agricultural trade arrangement that aims to address the low intra-trade challenge in agriculture within this grouping.

What has proven to be a constraint in the past is not the low demand, but rather the relatively high import tariffs and some non-tariff barriers (phytosanitary barriers) within this group, which continue to distort agricultural trade.

The BRICS countries represent a substantial agricultural market, with annual imports exceeding US$300 billion.

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Richard Humphries and Sam Mkokeli produce this podcast. Wandile Sihlobo website