The Economic Freedom Fighters has described as spineless the government’s deal reached with the United States over importing US pork‚ beef and poultry products and exporting South African agricultural exports. “The South African government has finally capitulated to American threats and demands that US poultry‚ pork‚ and beef products must be dumped in South Africa despite the fact that the health concerns … have not been attended to‚” the EFF said in a statement on Friday.The US’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) has been the subject of intense negotiations for the past few months. The agreement reached after the 11th hour – the deal was to have been concluded by December 31 – ends the risk of South African goods going to the US being excluded from tariff benefits. The impasse was mainly over acceptable levels of salmonella and control measures.The EFF said the importation of US product would force local producers to scale down or go out of business “because Americans have the certificate to dump their food products in South African markets”. It called for all US meat products to be marked with tags stating “Made in America” so that people could choose whether to buy it.The EFF also criticised the department of trade and industry for not pursuing alternative markets – an impression that it would do so was created through South Africa being part of Brics (Brazil‚ Russia‚ India‚ China and South Africa). Instead‚ “SA remains hostage to Western trade agreements”...