David Wolpert, Amie’s chief executive, said in a media statement the poultry import industry only took up 10% of the SA chicken market.
The International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) started an investigation into the matter last year after local producers appealed to government to apply anti-dumping duties on certain cuts from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
During 2012, the time period covered, “exceptional circumstances”, including major regulated cost increases in labour, power, and fuel, and high maize prices of around R3 000/t, prevailed, said Wolpert.
The SA Poultry Association’s chief executive Kevin Lovell said dumping was not a fair trade practice. “No one ever wins a trade war, it is just a series of skirmishes,” he noted. No matter what action Itac decided to take, it would not remove the threat posed by a global economy to a local market.
The fundamental difference, said Lovell was that SA was a balanced market, where all parts of the chicken were used, except blood and feathers, while in Europe only selected parts were eaten. “They sell that [unused] product at whatever price they can get,” said Lovell.
The expectation was for a provisional measure to be imposed for a few months, after which time the parties would present fresh arguments, he said.
