Swaziland eyes lucrative US citrus market

MBABANE – At a time
when the Citrus Growers’
Association (CGA) is
lobbying for an extension
of the US trade initiative
the African Growth and
Opportunity Act (Agoa),
CGA’s Swaziland members
stand to lose out due to
President Obama’s removal
of the country from the list
of Agoa beneficiaries.
“Expulsion (for
Swaziland) is a setback,”
Justin Chadwick, CEO of
the CGA, said in response to
a query from FTW.
“Swaziland does not have
access to the USA and so
no fruit is sent there at
the moment. South Africa
only has access from the
Northern and Western
Cape,” said Chadwick.
The operations of the
Durban-based CGA are
financed from dues paid
by growers. One current
project is to help convince
the US to extend Agoa
beyond 2015. Swaziland
growers are CGA members
and their dues have
contributed to this effort
with an eye on future access
to the lucrative US citrus
market.
“Both Swaziland and
the rest of South Africa
have sent in market access
applications,” said Chadwick.
Agoa largely benefited
Swaziland’s textile industry.
However, citrus is an
example of another Swazi
product that would benefit
from duty-free access to the
US market offered by the
trade scheme. Swaziland
was removed from Agoa
eligibility in May, with
the official announcement
coming in June, because
government would not
adjust its domestic labour
and human rights laws
and policies to conform
with international accords
on these topics to which
Swaziland is a signatory.
Swaziland’s citrus
growers may yet receive
market access for their
product, and shipments
may still be made there
in future if approval is
received. However, regular
duties will have to be paid
on the fruit.