Patel signals subtle shift in South Africa’s trade policy
The failure to give sufficient weight to consumers’ interests when imposing trade protection measures has raised food prices in South Africa — hitting the poorest the hardest. Now, Ebrahim Patel seems to be taking up the cause
20 July 2023 - 05:00
Over the past year, trade, industry & competition minister Ebrahim Patel has taken four decisions that will help shift South Africa’s use of trade measures in a less protectionist direction — all to the benefit of the consumer.
The first step was his decision to postpone, for a year, the imposition of anti-dumping duties on bone-in chicken from Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain. This was driven by his concern for the inflationary effect it might have on the price of chicken — one of the most affordable sources of protein, especially for the poor. ..
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