No AGOA for South Africa if Dumping Issue Persists
US - Senator Coons and Isakson co-signed a letter this week to South African President Jacob Zuma stating their intention to withhold the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) benefits from South Africa unless the anti-dumping issue is resolved.
11 December 2014
2 minute read
By: South Africa cannot expect to continue receiving preferential trade benefits under AGOA unless it rescinds its anti-dumping duties on imports of US chicken, Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) 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 here for the organisation’s annual Winter Meeting.
Senator Coons is chairman of the African Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is co-chairman with Senator 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.
