DTIC calls on the International Trade Administration Commission to consider a temporary rebate to avert a looming food crisis.

Chickens are dropping like flies in South Africa due to the worsening and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, causing severe shortages of eggs in the northern parts of the country. In the coming months, poultry product supply is likely to be under severe pressure, threatening food security.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTIC) has directed the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) to offer a temporary rebate on anti-dumping duties on imports of frozen bone-in portions of poultry from Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain, to mitigate against a shortage of chicken.

This comes just two months to the day after Itac reinstated the duties to protect local producers from dumping.

In July 2022, anti-dumping duties were approved on frozen bone-in portions of chicken originating in or imported from Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain, after an Itac investigation uncovered evidence of dumping.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, however, suspended the implementation of the duties for 12 months, citing concerns about food price inflation and the impact on local food security.

With bird flu wiping out millions of chickens in six of the country's nine provinces, DTIC Minister Ebrahim Patel has now asked Itac to consider a...