The South African government undertook extensive trade liberalisation during the 1990s with the explicit purpose of improving the competitiveness of industry. The pace of tariff liberalisation in some cases, went beyond the requirements specified in South Africa's WTO offer. This book provides a critical analysis of the impact of the government's liberalisation policy on the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector in South Africa during the 1990s. The role of government intervention in addressing deficient market practices is explored. In essence the study argues that the desired or appropriate level of openness may not entail completely free markets for trade and investment. This in essence implies an important role for government in unsuring that market outcomes result in the desired policy objectives.