Pretoria - South Africa has addressed the technical issues relating to market access of United States agricultural products raised during the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) review of South Africa, says the Department of Trade and Industry (dti).
“We have facilitated the negotiations and sent all proposals to resolve the outstanding issues in regard to South Africa remaining a beneficiary of AGOA for the next 10 years and now await the response from the United States.
“We remain fully committed to address any final technical matters that the United States may require in making sure that the country continues to benefit from AGOA,” said Trade and Industry Minister Davies on Tuesday.
Updating the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry in Parliament, the Minister said South Africa has complied with all undertakings to open its market to United State bone-in chicken pieces.
Earlier this year, South Africa and the US struck a deal that will see South Africa import 65 000 tons of US chicken. The two countries had been at loggerheads over the inclusion of US chicken imports into the South African market.
However, the quota has not been implemented due to South Africa’s concerns about avian flu in the US.
Minister Davies said South Africa has in the meantime complied with all undertakings to open its market to United States bone-in chicken pieces.
“The International Trade Administration Commission has published the Rebate Provision for the anti-dumping duty on bone-in chicken pieces from the US as well as guidelines for the allocations of the quota volume for public comments.
“This is in line with the understanding that was reached between our poultry industries in Paris of allowing 65 000 tons per annum of United States chicken to enter the South African market without the relevant anti-dumping duties,” said Minister Davies.
This quota only remains in place for as long as South Africa is part of AGOA.
Minister Davies told the Portfolio Committee that in a bilateral meeting held between the US and SA on the margins of the Gabon AGOA Forum that took place in August 2015, it was established that the main issues that remained to be resolved to smooth the path for South Africa’s AGOA eligibility were poultry, pork and beef.
AGOA is a preferential agreement that has been in place since 2000 between the US and sub-Saharan African countries. The current AGOA expired at the end of September. – SAnews.gov.za
