The poultry industry has asked a senior ANC MP to help fight the Department of Trade and Industry's proposed reduction or scrapping of anti-dumping duties against imports.

According to the Business Report, producers say the easing or removal of such duties would lead to the loss of billions of Rands for the local market and cost the economy thousands of jobs.

Ben Turok, a left-wing ANC MP, said he had proposed, with the support of Democratic Alliance MP Les Labuschagne, that the proposals be debated by the national assembly Trade and Industry Committee.

According to Turok , there is an obsession with liberalising the economy in South Africa, even though its competitors were not necessarily coming to the party. The US banned South African imports of chicken wings and legs, but was supporting chicken breast imports. "I joke that America likes our breasts," he said, but argued that the US intended to dump wings and legs on the South African market.

ITAC stated that protections routinely included a 5-year period of competition grace, articulated through protective duties. This period had expired. The Department has argued that its proposals to scrap or ease anti-dumping duties were in line with global trade practice.

Kevin Lovell, the chief executive of the SA Poultry Association, said the turnover of chicken meat portions in South Africa was just short of R4 billion (€356 mln; US$525 mln) in 2006. The end of duties would mean losses "in excess of R1 billion (€ 89 mln; US$31 mln)", with a "good few thousand jobs" being lost.

19 Feb 2008

Source: www.worldpoultry.net