South Africa’s trade regulator temporarily increases duties on selected frozen poultry product imports from 4 exporting countries
In a move welcomed by the poultry sector, South Africa’s trade regulator has announced a temporary increase in antidumping duties on selected frozen poultry product imports from four leading exporting nations. However, the change looks likely to add to the economic conditions that are likely to drive up chicken prices in the country.
The change will apply to product from Brazil and four European Union (EU) countries, namely Denmark, Republic of Ireland, Poland, and Spain, reports MoneyWeb. According to this source, poultry meat from these countries present a “major threat” to the South African poultry sector in terms of production capacity and employment prospects.
According to national trade movement FairPlay, these tariffs will remain in place until June of 2022. By that time, the country’s trade regulator is scheduled to have completed its review of the nation’s poultry industry’s case against these five countries.
On behalf of FairPlay, its founder Francois Baird has welcomed the news of the temporary import tariffs. They will help to provide a level playing field for South African poultry producers until the final decision on the issue is made by the regulator, the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac).
“FairPlay has repeatedly called for speedier action on anti-dumping applications, and we are pleased with this decision,” he said. “Moreover, this is another nail in the coffin for dumping and predatory trade denialists.”