Agri Minister Steenhuisen expecting SA to lose AGOA benefits, seeking alternative markets
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said he was casting the net as wide as he could to find alternative markets for South African produce.
FILE: Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, chairperson of the National Agricultural Marketing Council, Angelo Peterson and NAMC CEO Simphiwe Ngqangweni at a media briefing at Parliament on misinformation by business forum, Sakeliga. Picture: Lindsay Dentlinger / Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen believes the writing is on the wall that South Africa will almost certainly lose its duty-free access to the United States market, when the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) comes up for review in September.
Answering questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, Steenhuisen said it was unfortunate that the US has been making decisions about South Africa based on misinformation.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump imposed 30% trade tariffs on the import of South African goods.
Steenhuisen said he was casting the net as wide as he could to find alternative markets for South African produce.
As some cast doubt on the longevity of Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen’s ministerial posting, he told Parliament there was nowhere he would not travel to source new markets for the country’s agricultural produce.
With many predicting the end of AGOA, Steenhuisen said he was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
"I don't want to underplay it, it is a serious threat on the horizon to our agriculture sector, but I do think we need to start to build resilience in the agricultural sector in a post-AGOA world."
Asked by the Freedom Front Plus' Wynand Boshoff whether he thought lobby group AfriForum had tried to prevent South Africa from losing its preferential trade benefits through its visits to the US, Steenhuisen said he could not comment on the group's motives.
"There are decisions being made at a very high level in Washington that are based on an incorrect version of what's truly happening in South Africa and I think that’s most unfortunate."
Steenhuisen said that he had met with a Russian delegation on Sunday and has been in talks with eastern markets including Japan, Thailand and Vietnam to expand export options.
He said that his department is also reviewing existing trade agreements such as those with the European Union to deepen trade ties.