Deadline looms for agricultural exporters to Europe

OCTOBER 10 is the deadline for applications to the Department of Agriculture from exporters planning to ship agricultural products to Europe next year. This is in line with a Trade, Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA) established in 2000 between the European Community (EC) and South Africa. The agreement provides for the establishment of a free trade area between the EC and South Africa in accordance with the World Trade Organisation’s rules. It also provides for the strengthening of European development assistance to the country. “As part of the concessions provided under the TDCA, the EC has agreed to grant tariff preferences on limited quantities of selected products in the form of tariff quotas,” according to BuaNews. Selected products that can be exported at reduced levels are cheese, cut flowers, frozen strawberries, canned fruit, frozen orange juice, pineapple juice and apple juice. Red, white and sparkling wines also qualify. The export permits will be issued only to registered exporters in South Africa for exportation to specific European countries, the Department said. Detailed information regarding the application, administration and allocation of export permits to the EC was published in last week’s Government Gazette. More information regarding the permits can be accessed on the Department’s website: http:www.nda.agric.za/publications under “Publications in the Government Gazette Notices”.