MITA flags price risks from higher pork tariffs
MANILA, Philippines — The Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA) has opposed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) proposal to impose higher tariffs on imported pork, warning that such a move could drive up food prices.
In a position paper to the Tariff Commission, MITA President Emeritus Jesus Cham said the group opposes the DA’s plan to hike import duties to 25 percent in-quota and 35 percent out-quota.
READ: DA pushes for higher tariffs on pork imports
Pork tariffs would then return to 30 percent in-quota and 40 percent out-quota in 2028. Currently, tariffs on imported pork stand at 15 percent in-quota and 25 percent out-quota.
MITA acknowledged the struggles of local hog raisers affected by African swine fever (ASF) but argued that increasing tariffs won’t solve the underlying issues in local production.
“Instead, premature tariff hikes will further stoke food inflation, compromise raw material security for local food manufacturers, penalize the food service sector, and impose an unnecessary cost burden on millions of Filipino consumers,” Cham said.
MITA cited the DA’s claim that falling hog prices are due to competition from imported pork.Local hog raisers sold their produce quickly due to fears of an ASF outbreak, not because of increased imports, contrary to reports citing Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
“Increased rainfall, flooding, and typhoon activity during the monsoons exacerbate ASF biosecurity risks. Smallholder raisers routinely engage in preemptive or early liquidations to avoid herd mortality, temporarily oversupplying local abattoirs and driving farmgate prices down,” Cham said.
The group also said backyard and smallholders offload livestock early in the year to cover tuition fees, school supplies and household expenses.
Cham said reverting imported pork tariffs to pre-ASF levels would immediately increase landed wholesale costs, adding that pork accounts for a substantial weight in the consumer price index (CPI) food basket.
“Raising import tariffs will inflate retail prices for urban households at a time when purchasing power remains sensitive to essential food prices,” he said.
Moreover, MITA said higher tariffs would jack up retail costs for essential canned goods, processed meat and everyday consumer staples as processors rely on imported bellies and shoulder or leg meat.
Aside from processors, the group said the hotel, restaurant, and institutional sectors heavily depend on consistent, disease-free, and price-predictable imported pork cuts.
“Higher duties will squeeze operating margins for micro, small, and medium restaurant enterprises, forcing menu price hikes across food service establishments nationwide,” Cham added.
MITA noted whether higher duties or safeguard measures comply with the Safeguard Measures Act, which allows such duties if imports rise in absolute terms or compared to domestic production.
Cham noted that unilateral import duty hikes might impact the government’s trade talks, including agreements with the EU, Canada, Chile, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The industry group proposed keeping the current tariff structure on imported pork beyond 2028 to help the domestic hog industry rebuild and ensure a stable, low-inflation environment for long-term repopulation projects.
“Local meat processors and downstream food manufacturers require long-term supply visibility when planning capital investments and product pricing,” Cham said. /pai
