South Africa’s pork and poultry industries are being sacrificed as South Africa continues to seek a trade agreement with the United States.
The concessions were confirmed at a press briefing by trade minister Parks Tau, according to a report in Moneyweb.
“The trade matters relate to pork and poultry and market access,” Tau said, claiming that South Africa had made “generous offers” to the US and was awaiting a reply.
He did not explain “market access”, but the US has complained about anti-dumping duties and general tariffs on its poultry exports to South Africa, and disputes the need for a South African ban on US pork imports.
The anti-dumping duties on poultry were applied because an official investigation found that US producers were dumping poultry portions in South Africa. The pork ban is because South Africa is trying to remain free of a pig disease that is prevalent in the US.
Under the AGOA trade arrangement, the US has already forced on South Africa a huge annual quota of US chicken imports free of anti-dumping duties. South Africa is believed to have offered this quota in trade negotiations. Whether it has also agreed to relax general tariffs on chicken imports is not known.
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) occurs in American pig herds. The highly contagious disease affects pigs’ growth and development, and South Africa is among the few countries that have remained free of PRRS.
South African pork and poultry industries have expressed fears that they are being sacrificed in the trade negotiations with the US. Tau has confirmed that these fears are justified. Just how big the sacrifice is will be known once a deal is reached and details are published.
