Monday 23 October 2023 (Engineering News, Marleny Arnoldi, Deputy Editor Online)
The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) has welcomed Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel’s directive to the Import and ExportControl Regime, administered by the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac), to consider creating a temporary rebate on import duties for chicken as a shortage in the market looms.
AMIE, in particular, proposes that Itac reduce the import duties on frozen bone-in chicken from 62% to 37%, boneless chicken from 42% to 12% and to zero-rate for chicken offals such as carcasses, feet, heads, and liver, which are the chicken products most consumed by low-income households and consumers, for 12 months.
AMIE says a temporary, controlled relaxation of duties will help address the current chicken product shortages in the South African market, and ensure the most vulnerable in society are cushioned against rising costs owing to the latest Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak.
