1、 THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S.GOVERNMENT POLICY Required Report:Required-Public Distribution Date:November 20,2024 Report Number:SF2024-0027 Report Name:Agricultural Biotechnology Annual Country:South

2、 Africa-Republic of Post:Pretoria Report Category:Biotechnology and Other New Production Technologies Prepared By:Dirk Esterhuizen Approved By:Oliver Flake Report Highlights:Post received confirmation on United States genetically engineered(GE)soybean eligibility to enter South Africa.After a mid-su

3、mmer drought,South Africa needs corn and soybean imports to complement local production.South Africa allows for the importation of synchronized GE event approvals from an exporting country.Post worked closely with stakeholders to resolve the asynchronous GE events to allow trade with the United Stat

4、es.South Africa is amongst the top 10 global producers of GE crops and has approved numerous GE plant events for commercial cultivation since 1997.This has enabled remarkable growth in farm productivity.Though,in 2023,South Africa confirmed that products produced using genome editing would be regula

5、ted under the same risk assessment framework that currently exists under legislation governing GE products.This risk-disproportionate stance threatens further advancement of innovative biotechnologies in South Africa and will likely have trade ramifications.2 Executive Summary:Total bilateral agricu

6、ltural trade between the United States and South Africa dropped by 17 percent in 2023 to US$825 million from a record high of US$997 million in 2022.The United States imported US$84 million of processed products that could contain biotech-derived food ingredients from South Africa in 2023.Biotechnol