Pretoria - The protracted negotiations around the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) have been successfully concluded resulting in South Africa’s export privileges to the US being renewed and Americans now able to export poultry, beef and pork to this country.
Trade and Industry minister Rob Davies announced on Thursday at a media briefing in Pretoria that outstanding matters on the deal were concluded “last night” and relevant documents had been signed.
“All outstanding sanitary matters have been concluded and documents singed by both sides,” said Davies.
Davies said that the renewed Agoa meant that South Africa’s market was now open to 65 000 tones of poultry, beef and pork from the US every year – as per the agreement struck in June in Paris.
It is understood that South Africa negotiated for stringent measures to be applied to imported US products, and that the Agoa be renewed every 12 months.
South Africa had been on the brink of losing its Agoa benefits as the US was threatening to suspend duty-free treatment of South African agricultural products into the North American country.
The US was pressing SA to open its market for American products or risk losing its Agoa benefits. The suspension of Agoa benefits would have meant duties would have become payable on some products exported to the US, making them more expensive to sell in that country.
ANA