Hiking import tariffs will hurt South America, says Brazilian poultry association
BRAZIL - An association representing Brazilian poultry exporters has warned of the dire consequences for SA consumers and the broader economy should a new application for a hike in import tariffs on frozen chicken portions be granted
15 January 2019
2 minute read
By: South Africa's poultry sector has shed hundreds of jobs in recent times and blames this on cheap chicken imports. Brazil is the world’s largest poultry exporter.
The SA Poultry Association’s (Sapa) application to the International Trade Administration Commission - the organisation tasked with customs tariff investigations, trade remedies, and import and export control - calls for an increase to the ad valorem tariff on bone-in and boneless frozen chicken portions to 82 percent from existing levels of 37 percent and 12 percent respectively.
The Brazilian Association of Animal Protein said the argument that SA, as a "globally efficient producer of chicken" faces profit challenges and job losses due to imports of frozen chicken, "does not sustain itself."
"Whereas one of the main reasons SA is facing difficulties is that SA poultry production has been highly affected by bird flu (pathogenic avian influenza) since 2017," the association said.
