Meat exporters call for review of South Africa’s foot-and-mouth disease import policy

SOUTH AFRICA – The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) is urging the South African government to end the use of blanket bans on meat imports from countries reporting foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks.

The industry body says restrictions should instead be applied only to specific provinces or districts where outbreaks are detected, allowing trade from unaffected regions to continue.

This position comes as South Africa works on a broader response to the United States’ decision to introduce 30% tariffs on its exports, which has prompted officials to explore alternative markets for affected products.

AMIE chief executive Imameleng Mothebe said while disease control is essential, the current approach often disrupts trade unnecessarily and harms businesses that are compliant with safety requirements.

He noted that FMD is expected to remain a recurring challenge in global livestock markets, but stressed that trade can still take place safely if regionalisation agreements are established in advance.

Such agreements, he said, allow importers to source meat from unaffected areas in a country experiencing an outbreak, a practice already accepted by several trading partners.

Mothebe added that these arrangements need to be finalised before outbreaks occur so that exports can continue without lengthy disruptions.

He said proactive and timely communication from the Department of Agriculture would speed up the process of securing such agreements.

The association has also welcomed elements of the government’s trade strategy aimed at protecting the country’s meat industry from the effects of the U.S. tariffs, particularly the focus on market diversification and securing rural employment.

However, AMIE warned that the strategy will not achieve its goals unless the government improves its sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems and closes operational gaps that currently limit market access.

According to Mothebe, these improvements are necessary to open new export channels and maintain existing ones in a competitive global market.

The call for a policy shift comes at a time when South African farmers are still dealing with recent FMD outbreaks, including confirmed cases in the Free State.

Industry groups say the current disease management system, while protective, risks slowing the growth of beef exports and weakening the sector’s long-term competitiveness.

They argue that adopting targeted restrictions and preparing regionalisation agreements in advance could provide a more balanced approach that safeguards both public health and trade opportunities.

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