Beleaguered poultry producers score anti-dumping victory

Beleaguered poultry producers score anti-dumping victory

A FURTHER step has just been announced in the anti-dumping case on chickens from the US.
Thighs and legs have been deluging the SA market at low prices - as US producers rid themselves of chicken portions which are small sellers in the "white meat" (breast) culture of the States.
But, said SA poultry producers, these low prices were below local cost-prices - and the beleaguered industry mounted a petition against this "dumping".
After some months of consideration, the Board of Tariffs & Trade has found in favour of local chicken producers, and has applied a provisional anti-dumping duty on the offending products.
These are "frozen, prepared or preserved meat of fowls (of the species galous domesticus) cut in pieces with the bone-in" - those thighs and legs.
There are three duties, applicable on all imports effective since July 5.

• R2.24 per kilogram - if manufactured by Tyson Foods Incorporated;
• R2.45/kg - if from Goldkist Corporation;
• R7.25/kg from any other producer.

According to the international trade unit of Deloitte & Touche, which has closely monitored the anti-dumping issue since its inception, these provisional duties apply until December 27 - meaning that the BoT&T must make its final duty determination before that date.
The variable duty levels, Deloitte & Touche told FTW, was probably due to the fact that only those two named companies responded to the SA government's detailed questionnaire on the US exporters' reaction to the anti-dumping petition.

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