The United States facilitates a two-way trade for South Africa by opening new ports for citrus exports.

The United States will open up new ports for the import for citrus produce from South Africa, which will facilitate two-way trade for both sides.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service approved the use of several extra ports for South African citrus producers.  

Before, the South African citrus industry was using 4 ports and has been searching for access to other American ports. Now the exports will be allowed to any american port which has cold storage facilities, even such strategically important ports as South Carolina, Charleston and Savannah, Georgia.  

Lana Marks, the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa commented that the opening of new ports of destination for citrus produce will enable trade between 2 countries going forward and will lower transportation costs, provide flexibility to U.S. wholesalers and retailers and open up the reach of South African citrus to other territories of the U.S. market.

According to Summer Citrus from South Africa, in 2020 South Africa shipped a record amount of over 77.000 tons of citrus to the U.S. (68 percent increase compared to 2019). 

South African growers ship citrus duty-free to the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program.