US Lawmakers Call for Full Access to South African Market for American Pork Exports

The United States pork industry is facing restrictions in accessing the South African market, hindering American pork exports and causing financial losses for hog farmers. South Africa's limitations on U.S. pork products violate its commitments under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which governs trade between the U.S. and 32 African countries. The restrictions have created uncertainty for hog farmers and prevented South Africans from consuming American pork. Iowa and North Carolina, the top pork-producing states in the U.S., are particularly affected by these restrictions. The U.S. pork industry supports over 600,000 American jobs and generates billions of dollars in economic output [f445a076].

In an opinion piece published by Agri-Pulse, Representatives Randy Feenstra and Greg Murphy call for the full repeal of California's Proposition 12, which imposes animal welfare standards on pork products, and for the Biden administration to hold South Africa accountable to its obligations under AGOA. The lawmakers emphasize the importance of fair treatment for U.S. pork exports in the South African market and strict enforcement of trade laws. They highlight the significant economic impact of the pork industry and the need to address the financial losses faced by hog farmers [f445a076].

The issue of American pork exports to South Africa adds to the ongoing debate surrounding the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa. The recently introduced bill in the U.S. Congress, which calls for a review of the relationship, raises concerns about South Africa's ties to Hamas, Russia, and China, as well as issues such as load shedding, Transnet's problems, and state capture. The Wall Street Journal has criticized South Africa for moving towards an anti-U.S. axis and highlights the potential consequences of losing the benefits of AGOA, which provides duty-free access to 25% of South African exports to the U.S. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa denies that the country's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could harm its relationship with the U.S. and emphasizes the mutual respect and willingness to engage in constructive dialogue between the two countries [0b0b9d14] [f445a076].

The bill calling for a review of the U.S.-South Africa relationship will now be considered by the full House for debate and voting. If passed, it could potentially lead to a reordering of the relationship between the two countries, including the issue of American pork exports to South Africa [485b862e].