EC cuts duty for more agri-products

ALAN PEAT
FIVE NEW agricultural product categories can enter the European Community (EC) at reduced import duty levels, with a mid-term review of the Trade, Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA) between SA and the EC likely to add other tariff preference products to the list in November.
The new products approved by the EC for preferential entry are cheese; cut flowers; frozen strawberries; canned fruit (pears, apricots and peaches); frozen orange, apple and pineapple juice; and sparkling, white and red wines.
Although quotas apply, and the tariff preferences will only be on limited quantities of these products, it will enable SA exporters of the specific agricultural produce to trade their goods throughout the EC at cut duty levels.
This is a significant development for SA farmers, according to the department of agriculture, which will be administering the EC agricultural quotas on behalf of government and issuing the relevant export permits.
Department spokesman Steve Galane warned that export permits would only be issued to registered SA exporters for trade with specific European countries.
Applications for export rights must be submitted to the department by November 15.