The British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP) has opposed a proposed pork import holiday and higher tariffs, warning that restricting supplies ahead of Christmas could intensify food inflation while African swine fever (ASF) continues to constrain domestic production.
Chris Nelson, BCCP executive director, said maintaining access to imported pork was important as consumers contend with inflation, a weaker peso and higher distribution costs driven by expensive fuel.
“We’re against (it),” Nelson said when asked about raising pork tariffs. “You need supply. What you don’t want to have at this moment is supply disruption.”
The Department of Agriculture has proposed a two-month import holiday and higher duties to help hog raisers recover from depressed farmgate prices. The measures remain subject to government approval.
Nelson backed retaining Executive Order 62, which keeps pork tariffs at 15 percent for imports within the minimum access volume quota and 25 percent outside the quota through 2028.
While acknowledging local producers’ concerns about selling below cost, he said domestic output remained insufficient to meet demand, making imports an important buffer against supply shortages and price increases.
Rebuilding hog populations will take time despite the availability of an ASF vaccine, Nelson said, highlighting the challenge of helping local producers recover without restricting supplies available to consumers.
He also opposed safeguard measures on imported pork, saying the chamber believed the conditions for imposing such restrictions had not been met.
Uncertainty over trade policy could further unsettle the market just as seasonal demand for meat rises toward the holidays, he added.
Nelson said the United Kingdom’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board would visit the Philippines next month to strengthen long-term commercial ties with local partners and support food security.
The chamber’s position underscores the tension facing policymakers. That is, protecting hog raisers from low farmgate prices while ensuring consumers have enough affordable pork, particularly during the Christmas season.
