South Africa: Market Opens for United States Corn

Import permits for genetically engineered (GE) corn from the United States are once again issued by South Africa. After a mid-summer drought that caused a 22 percent drop in production, South Africa needs to import corn to supplement domestic production. Domestic prices have surged due to the tight supply and greater South African exports to meet regional demand. South Africa only issues import permits for countries that are cultivating genetically engineered (GE) events that have been approved for food, feed and/or cultivation purposes in South Africa. Post worked closely with stakeholders to resolve the asynchronous issue to allow trade with the United States. On November 19, 2024, South Africa’s Department of Agriculture informed stakeholders that all GE corn events that caused asynchrony with the United States had been resolved and that import permits will be issued for GE white and yellow corn from the United States.