OSTRICH FARMERS HOPE US WON'T CLIP SA WINGS

30% tariffs expected to kick in from Friday if no deal is reached

- NICOLA DANIELS

LOCAL ostrich farmers remain hopeful that ongoing talks between South African International Relations and Cooperation, and Trade, Industry and Competition authorities and their US counterparts will lead to a mutually beneficial trade agreement.

This as the 30% unilateral tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on foreign imports is expected to be implemented from Friday if no deal is reached before that deadline.

Texas's top manufacturers of cowboy boots, a staple of Southern US fashion, source their ostrich leather exclusively from Oudtshoorn, widely known as the world’s “ostrich capital.”

The ostrich industry is a major economic driver in the Klein Karoo and the broader Western Cape, with exports of meat, feathers, and leather valued at R578.8 million in 2021.

According to the Western Cape Agriculture Department, France, the US, and Mexico were the main export markets for ostrich leather products in 2021, while ostrich feathers and meats were mostly shipped to Hong Kong, China, and the United Kingdom.

Cape Karoo International (CKI), representing around 200 farmers, said exports of ostrich leather to the US account for approximately 20% of its leather sales.

AFP reports that luxury handbag manufacturers in France and Italy are also among the CKI’s clients.