While South Africa’s poultry industry feels let down, other industries are getting government support as they battle new United States tariffs.
Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has highlighted the work the government is doing to open new export markets for South African producers hit by 30% tariffs in the United States.
High-value South African agricultural exports had been directly affected, Steenhuisen said in a statement published on Politicsweb.
“These new tariffs place undue strain on citrus growers, macadamia exporters, and wine producers who had invested in building market share in the United States over the past decade.
“For many emerging exporters that have only recently entered global value chains, these barriers risk undoing years of transformation gains and enterprise development.”
The department was working with the trade and international relations departments to defend market access for South African agricultural producers. It was also accelerating efforts to diversify the country’s export portfolio.
“New bilateral phytosanitary agreements are being finalised to open or expand access to markets such as China for avocados, India for fresh produce, Japan for grain products, and the Middle East for beef.
“These efforts are backed by strategic investments in cold chain infrastructure, export compliance systems, and the biosecurity capabilities required to maintain our international reputation for safe, high-quality produce,” Minister Steenhuisen said.
Trade minister Parks Tau gave further details of government actions to find new markets for South Africa’s fruit and automotive exports.
In an interview with the Daily Maverick, Tau said market access talks were open in several Asian and Middle Eastern countries, including Japan, India and Saudi Arabia. In addition, his department had engaged potential trade partners in Africa, including Algeria and Egypt.
Tau will also be having discussions on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week with companies and stakeholders looking to tap into the South African market.
