Astral Foods CEO discusses the impact of US trade tensions on SA's poultry sector

SOUTH Africa's poultry industry would like a seat at the table if there are any changes on import tariffs or quotas on the US imports, even though at this stage, it will be unaffected directly by a cessation of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Agreement (Agoa), said Astral CEO Gary Arnold.

- EDWARD WEST

Currently, South Africa allows a 70 000-ton duty-free chicken import quota from the US, but this figure barely got filled last year, and there have been no chicken imports from the US this year because of the outbreak of bird flu in the US, Gary Arnold, CEO of South Africa’s largest integrated poultry producer Astral Foods, said on Monday.

He said he was more concerned about the potential impact on the broader South African economy of lower exports to the US, due to the trade tensions and recent imposition of a 10% import duty, with the possibility that this might even rise further.

His comments come as President Cyril Ramaphosa heads a ministerial delegation for talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday, to reset relations between the two countries and regarding the African Growth and Opportunity Act that provided duty-free access for South African exports to the US, including cars and agricultural products.