Patel directs Itac to consider temporary chicken duty rebate as shortage looms

Minister of trade, industry, and competition Ebrahim Patel has issued a directive to the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) to consider a rebate for the import of products including chicken in a bid to get ahead of a looming chicken shortage as a result of the latest avian influenza outbreak.

Industry leaders have called the outbreak the worst of its kind. Last week, farms in Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal reported cases of HPAI H5 and some in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North-West have reported cases of HPAI H7.

In a government gazette notice, Patel asked Itac to investigate, allow public comments and decide on the possibility of a temporary rebate on import taxes and anti-dumping duties for importers of poultry in response to the outbreak.

“The minister... directed ITAC in terms of section 16 of the International Trade Administration Act, to consider the creation of a temporary rebate provision on meat and edible offal, fresh, chilled or frozen of fowls of the species Gallus Domesticus classifiable under HS0207,” the notice said.

The notice said “the investigation must be done in an expedited manner” and must consider whether the temporary rebate should only be applicable to ordinary customs duties or whether rebating anti-dumping duties should also be included.

The notice said the rebate be made subject to a rebate permit issued by Itac in consultation with the director-general of the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development. By late September, the bird flu outbreak had seen farms cull about 2.6-million chickens.