USMEF seeks tariff relief for U.S. pork in the Philippines

Mar 27, 2023

The Philippine Tariff Commission is conducting a comprehensive review of its most favored nation tariff schedule. The U.S. Meat Export Federation filed comments in this proceeding, requesting that recent temporary reductions in the Philippines' MFN tariff rates for imported pork be adopted long-term.

Erin Borror, USMEF vice president of economic analysis, explains that temporary reductions (from 30% to 15% in quota and 40% to 25% out of quota) implemented in mid-2021 have smoothed supply constraints and mitigated the impact of African swine fever in the Philippines. Long-term adoption of these tariff reductions would bolster pork consumption by easing the impacts of inflation on Philippine consumers.

"The Philippines were kind of ahead of other countries that reduced pork tariffs or meat tariffs in general as part of an overall inflation battle," says Borror. "The Philippines had their tariff reductions starting in 2021 and this was largely due to their pork shortage due to African swine fever. It added 200,000 metric tons to the 54,000 roughly metric ton quota, which allowed for imports at a reduced tariff rate of 15%. So essentially cutting that rate in half and an out of quota rate of 40%, reduced down to 25. In 2022, they went ahead and extended the tariff reductions, however, that quota volume was not increased.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.