New threat of anti-dumping duties by South Africa on imports of poultry meat originating in Poland, Spain, Ireland and Denmark

Question for written answer  E-001137/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Krzysztof Jurgiel (ECR)

The AVEC poultry farming organisation reports that in January 2021 the International Trade Administration Commission received a request concerning the alleged dumping of frozen bone-in cuts of the fowl gallus domesticus originating in or imported from Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain. This is a further protectionist measure imposed by the South African authorities, in addition to:

an anti-dumping measure of between 22% and 73% imposed in 2015 preventing most companies from Germany, the UK and the Netherlands exporting products to South Africa;

SPS bans introduced in 2016 to block imports of poultry meat from most EU exporting Member States;

a safeguard duty of 35.3% imposed in 2018 on EU products.

Trade relations with South Africa under the EU-SADC EPA do not therefore provide EU countries with free access to the South African market. Anti-dumping duties will put producers in Poland, Spain and Denmark, where poultry markets have been hit hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a particularly difficult situation. Another threat to this sector is avian influenza, which has already been reported in many Member States.

In this connection:

What measures does the Commission plan to take to ensure that EU-RSA relations are mutually beneficial and lead to the removal of unjustified trade measures concerning poultry which are preferential for South African farmers?