South Africa raises poultry-import tariffs, drawing U.S. ire
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa raised tariffs on poultry imports to help protect local producers who’ve sought measures to counter a flood of cheap shipments.
The announcement immediately drew criticism from the U.S. government, which previously threatened to exclude South Africa from a preferential trade agreement after a disagreement over the levies in 2015. The U.S. in January began reviewing the nation’s market access under the so-called Generalized System of Preferences — the loss of which could put as much as $2.4 billion of South African exports at risk.
Duties on frozen bone-in chicken pieces were raised to 62% from 37% for imports from all nations excluding the European Union and Southern African Development Community members, the National Treasury said in the Government Gazette on Friday. Levies for frozen boneless chicken cuts increased to 42% from 12%, it said.
Source: iol.co.za
