The southern winter clouds accumulate over Robertson’s wine, 150 kilometers east of the cap in South Africa. The horizon also darkens with the entrance to the application, now established for August 7, of the US customs tasks of 30% aimed at all South African products.
The classic cap, a local foaming white wine elaborated according to the Champagne method, previously benefited from a Washington exemption from the Law of Agaa. Like many other agricultural products: citrus, macadamia nuts or lawyers …
In Graham Beck’s naked vineyards, a great name of the classic cap, agricultural workers wrapped in polar thickness cut the Pampres. The house, with 135 employees, anticipated the shipment of almost 300,000 bottles that flows each year in the US market, almost 15% of its annual production.
In total, 4% of South African agricultural exports were allocated to the United States last year, according to the local agriculture. Or almost $ 600 million, according to figures from this organization, as well as South African tax authorities.
In a country where 72% of the cultivated land still belonged to the white minority in 2017, according to government figures, these customs surcharges especially affect the descendants of the first European settlers. These Afrikaners of which Donald Trump made the self -proclaimed defender by welcoming fifty of them, such as refugees.
The US president still accused Pretoria on Tuesday of having “very bad policies” saying that “many people are killed”, in line with their accusations about an alleged persecution of the farmers of the White Miner, which represents 7.3% of the population.
100,000 jobs at stake
According to the governor of the Central Bank of South Africa, American customs taxes could cost a total of 100,000 jobs in the first economy in the continent, already overwhelmed by unemployment of almost 33%.
The United States absorbed between 6% and 8% of these South African fruits, depending on whether they are oranges or tangerines.
But some operations, in particular Citrusdal to 200 km north of the corporal, have focused a lot on the US market thanks to the preferential export conditions allowed by Agaa.
His family will celebrate next year the 260th anniversary of family exploitation in Citrusdal, embodying this work of the land in the heart of the founding myth of Afrikaners – Boer means “farm” in Dutch as in Afrikaans.
Dead city?
“As a well established business, we will survive the situation,” explains the head of this exploitation (ALG), which uses around 2,000 people. “But what is reality? If we reduce the wing of 100 hectares, 200 people will meet without work next year in Citrusdal.”
A colossal figure for a modest rural city with less than 10,000 inhabitants and very busy during this intensive harvest period.
If he had a message with the US president, who “respects” for “his efforts to bring industries to the United States” while he is in “disagree with his methodology,” he would remember that South African citrus producers are exporting a “product outside the season.”
“So we don’t steal from California,” he argues. “All we do is offer a healthy product at a very affordable price.”
Source: BFM TV
