US warns South African on poultry anti-dumping policy

South Africa cannot expect to continue receiving preferential trade benefits under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) unless it rescinds its anti-dumping duties on imports of US chicken, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) has told members of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC).

“I will do everything in my power to make sure (the South Africans) do not derive any benefits from AGOA if they do not end the illegal anti-dumping duties against US chicken,” Coons told USAPEEC members gathered for the organisation’s annual Winter Meeting.

Coons is chairman of the African Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is co-chairman with Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) of the so-called Senate “Chicken Caucus.” Both senators have been vocal opponents of South Africa’s anti-dumping duties on US chicken parts, which the South African government imposed in 1999.

Both Delaware and Georgia are major chicken-producing states. Mike Little, export manager at Mountaire Farms in Millsboro, Del., currently serves as chairman of USAPEEC.

AGOA, which provides preferential US import duties on a wide variety of products from more than 40 countries in Africa, is up for renewal in 2015.

Coons and Isakson co-signed a letter this week to South African President Jacob Zuma stating their intention to withhold AGOA benefits from South Africa unless the anti-dumping issue is resolved.