TOP United States and South African trade officials inaugurated a trade and investment framework agreement between the two nations with a video conference on Wednesday. ”Today’s meeting, our first trade discussion with the new government of South Africa under [the agreement] was very productive,” said US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky following talks with Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin. She cited progress on intellectual property protection — notably in the pharmaceutical sector — as well as measures to boost trade and investment. US-South African trade was valued at $7-billion in 1998, with Washington the largest provider of direct foreign investment in post-apartheid South Africa.