SA and the US have finally reached an agreement on the terms and conditions for the import of US beef, pork and poultry into the local market, after months of prolonged and nail-biting negotiation.
The deal, which was reached in "extra time", will secure the continued enjoyment of tariff-free access to the US market for SA’s agricultural exports under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). Citrus, wine and macadamia nuts have been the major agricultural beneficiaries of this free access.
Veterinarians of both countries had a prolonged meeting on Wednesday to thrash out an agreement on the outstanding issues, which mainly related to how SA would deal with possible salmonella in US chicken imports.
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies made the announcement of the agreement at a media conference on Thursday, which was also attended by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana.
He said that all the sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues had been concluded and agreements were signed by both parties. This means that the 65,000 tonnes of bone-in chicken portions from the US could enter the local market annually free of antidumping duties.
Mr Davies said he was awaiting a signal from the US that all was in order and that SA would henceforth have full status under Agoa.
The agreement came six days after the December 31 deadline set by US President Barack Obama for SA to remove all obstacles to US exports of beef, pork and poultry, failing which he would order the selective withdrawal of tariff-free access for specified agricultural products under Agoa.
The obstacles mainly related to the sanitary and phyto-sanitary restrictions that SA applies to all meat imports, which the US found to be too restrictive.
Mr Obama’s deadline arose from the out-of-cycle review, which was conducted by the US administration into whether or not SA’s policies were an obstacle to US trade and investment.
Rob Davies addresses the media and the public on government's decision on the African Growth and Opportunity Act on Monday in Pretoria. Picture: GCIS
SA and the US have finally reached an agreement on the terms and conditions for the import of US beef, pork and poultry into the local market, after months of prolonged and nail-biting negotiation.
The deal, which was reached in "extra time", will secure the continued enjoyment of tariff-free access to the US market for SA’s agricultural exports under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). Citrus, wine and macadamia nuts have been the major agricultural beneficiaries of this free access.
Veterinarians of both countries had a prolonged meeting on Wednesday to thrash out an agreement on the outstanding issues, which mainly related to how SA would deal with possible salmonella in US chicken imports.
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies made the announcement of the agreement at a media conference on Thursday, which was also attended by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana.
He said that all the sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues had been concluded and agreements were signed by both parties. This means that the 65,000 tonnes of bone-in chicken portions from the US could enter the local market annually free of antidumping duties.
Mr Davies said he was awaiting a signal from the US that all was in order and that SA would henceforth have full status under Agoa.
The agreement came six days after the December 31 deadline set by US President Barack Obama for SA to remove all obstacles to US exports of beef, pork and poultry, failing which he would order the selective withdrawal of tariff-free access for specified agricultural products under Agoa.
The obstacles mainly related to the sanitary and phyto-sanitary restrictions that SA applies to all meat imports, which the US found to be too restrictive.
Mr Obama’s deadline arose from the out-of-cycle review, which was conducted by the US administration into whether or not SA’s policies were an obstacle to US trade and investment.
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