Johannesburg - There's more to the conflict over the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) than just the US poultry imports, according to Tutwa Consulting managing director Peter Draper.

Agoa is a US law that enhances market access to the US for qualifying sub-Saharan African countries including South Africa. The US is expected to suspend South Africa from Agoa after it missed a December 31 deadline to resolve a health-related dispute on meat imports. The suspension will hit the agricultural sector first.

Draper said South Africa could still avert the suspension by removing unnecessary health barriers to imports of US chicken and beef.