October 11, 2016
South Africa poultry, pork producers ask court to ban US imports
South African poultry and pork producers have asked the court to order the restoration of a ban on US imports, claiming US meat would expose local consumers to salmonella bacteria, particularly in US chicken.
The SA Poultry Association (SAPA) and SA Pork Producers Organisation (SAPPO)
said that aside from salmonella bacteria in US chicken, the lifting of the health restrictions has exposed South African consumers to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in US pork, a report by The Citizen said.
In January a pressured South Africa agreed to allow access to most US imports of poultry, pork and beef and their products, following a bitter warning of trade reprisal.
The US government threatened in early November 2015 that it would suspend benefits to South African agricultural products under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for failure to meet the eligibility requirements of the Act.
Reacting to the SAPA and SAPPO move, the president of the US Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC), James Sumner, warned that should the court order the blocking of US meat imports again, the US "probably would-and should-trigger another out-of-cycle review under AGOA".
The US Embassy's economic counsellor in Pretoria, Laird Treiber, has also said that the US had asked the South African government to challenge the SAPA and SAPPO cases, The Citizen reported.