Friday, July 13, 2012

US poultry industry: Challenge anti-dumping duties from South Africa


    The National Chicken Council and USA Poultry & Egg Export Council are calling for U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to file a World Trade Organization challenge on behalf of U.S. chicken exporters against the anti-dumping duties South Africa imposed on U.S. chicken nearly 12 years ago. This move comes on the heels of the current case against South Africa set by Brazil, which has also gone before the World Trade Organization.
    In addition to wanting to open a case, the councils believe that the U.S. government should support Brazil as a third-party in its own case if Brazil will agree to reciprocate and support the U.S. in its case. Using a weighted average export price for U.S. bone-in chicken cuts from 2000 through the first quarter of 2012, the effective average duty levied by South Africa on these products is 258.8 percent, according to the councils. If South Africa opens its market to U.S. bone-in chicken parts, exports would increase to 127,000 metric tons annually and U.S. bone-in chicken parts price would increase 4 percent at the wholesale level.
    "Countries like South Africa are illegally blocking U.S. exports at a time when the President’s policy is to double U.S. exports over a five-year period," said the councils. "And, U.S. poultry is perhaps the most competitive and potentially successful export sector in U.S. agriculture. It is time for the U.S. government to show the same commitment to its poultry export industry that Brazil is showing to its [own industry]."

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