South Africa: FMD Outbreak Leads to Bans on Imports of Red Meat from South Africa

The January 2019 outbreak of foot and mouth disease in South Africa led to several countries, including China, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, eSwatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe, suspending imports of cloven-hoofed animals and their products from South Africa. In 2018, South Africa exported live cattle and red meat valued at about $90 million to these countries, accounting for about 46 percent of South Africa’s total live cattle and red meat exports. To lessen the impact of these trade bans on an industry that is currently recovering from drought and the 2017/2018 listeria outbreak, South Africa is engaging with its trade partners to relax the trade restrictions and negotiating new health certificates where necessary. South Africa does not export live animals and red meat to the United States. Although South Africa is not a large market for U.S. red meat, the United States exported 15,700 tons of red meat to South Africa in 2018.

South Africa: FMD Outbreak Leads to Bans on Imports of Red Meat from South Africa