March 11, 2021

South Africa's AMIE questions support of anti-dumping duties on chicken imports

South Africa's Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) has questioned the country's poultry industry for advocating anti-dumping duties on imported chicken despite the increase in chicken prices for local consumers.

AMIE explained that when poultry tariffs were introduced in 2020, the South African National Consumer Union warned tariffs would push up chicken prices, which AMIE said has happened.

An increase of 9% was recorded last year from R63.87 (US$4.18) to R77.61 (US$5.07) for a bag of frozen chicken portions. AMIE said this meant that minimum wage earners would struggle to afford what is supposed to be an affordable protein source.

"Now poultry producers are asking for even more tariff protection on certain chicken imports. Poultry price increases, which are already exceeding inflation, would make chicken completely unaffordable to 40% of South African consumers that are already regarded as poor. These tariffs are aimed at cutting out imports completely and creating a monopoly in the local industry," said AMIE CEO Paul Matthew.

Matthew said that the poultry industry needs help, not protection. AMIE argued that imports do not harm the local industry, nor do tariffs or anti-dumping duties represents the solution to the industry's problems.

AMIE's statement followed immediately after the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) applied for anti-dumping duties on chicken imported from Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain to the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) in February.

 - Creamer Media's Engineering News