South Africa raises US frozen chicken rebate quota to 74,351 tonnes

AgricultureTrade

Saturday 7th November 2026

Bags of frozen mixed chicken portions and breast fillets in a South African supermarket freezer — File photograph of frozen chicken packs at a South African supermarket on 21 February 2014. The packs are shown for context. Zyxoas via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized.

By inAfrika Newsroom

South Africa increased the annual quantity of US frozen bone-in chicken eligible for an anti-dumping duty rebate to 74,351 tonnes from 73,881 tonnes. The 470-tonne increase applies retrospectively from 1 April 2026 under a notice published on 6 November.

The rebate removes the full anti-dumping duty for eligible imports. It covers frozen bone-in cuts originating in or imported from the United States. The International Trade Administration Commission issues permits on the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture, and the quota runs from 1 April to 31 March.

The US Commerce Department’s country trade guide says US chicken imports also need a health certificate. It said in June that the US poultry quota had gone underused in the years since the 2019/20 period.

The new notice retains a clause linking the rebate to benefits South Africa received under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Under the clause, a suspension takes effect when South Africa’s trade minister submits written confirmation to the finance minister that those benefits have been suspended.

The US said on 2 November that it intended to end South Africa’s eligibility for the programme on 1 January 2027. The 6 November South African notice changes the quota and retains the procedure governing any future suspension.

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