US, South African farmers cry fowl over Trump metal tariffs

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel, aluminum and other imported goods are threatening a trade deal with South Africa that gives U.S. chicken producers duty-free access to a market that had effectively been shut to them for years.

Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Roger Wicker of Mississippi have outlined their concerns in a recent letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. They cite a lawsuit in South Africa that aims to end duty-free imports of American chicken unless South Africa is exempted from Trump’s metal tariffs.

The senators are from states where poultry is a multi-billion dollar industry.

The dispute illustrates the risk Trump runs by using tariffs to force countries into trade pacts with terms he considers more favourable to the U.S.