Philippines suspends pork imports - Valor International
The Philippines announced Monday (9) a 60-day suspension of imports of pork and some pork products in an effort to help local producers recover from low prices that the government says have been driven down by an increase in foreign supplies. The measure, ordered by the country’s Department of Agriculture, will take effect on November 24, or 15 days after the department’s order was published, according to the government’s official news agency.
The decision is expected to affect Brazilian pork exports. The Philippines is Brazil’s largest foreign buyer of pork, accounting for 26.3% of exports, or 392,900 tonnes in 2025. China ranks second, with 10.7% of Brazilian exports, followed by Chile, with 7.9%.
Only about 27% of Brazil’s pork production is exported. The remaining 73% is sold on the domestic market.
Brazil is the world’s third-largest pork exporter, behind the United States and the European Union. The Philippines is the world’s fifth-largest pork importer, after Mexico, Japan, China, and the United Kingdom.
Under the Philippine Department of Agriculture’s order, imports of fresh, chilled, and frozen pork, ham, shoulders and bone-in cuts, as well as fresh, chilled, and frozen edible offal, including livers, are prohibited.
The Philippine News Agency reported that the entry of “cheap” pork into the country had caused losses of 28 billion Philippine pesos, or more than $400 million. The local government also argued that the country’s pork imports rose 42% in 2025, to 836,240 tonnes.
At a news conference, Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the 60-day suspension could be extended depending on the needs of the sector, particularly based on the prices paid for pork. According to Tiu Laurel, prices for pork produced by both commercial farms and backyard producers are below production costs.
The Philippines had already notified the World Trade Organization that it was initiating a safeguard investigation involving pork, said Ricardo Santin, president of the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA).
The association has already submitted a defense of the Brazilian industry, Santin said, arguing that Brazil does not harm local producers. He noted that Brazilian pork exports to the Philippines increased after the country’s domestic production fell sharply several years ago following an outbreak of African swine fever.
“Exporters increased shipments to meet the country’s needs and prevent inflation from rising. The Philippines even introduced quotas and lowered tariffs precisely because it was facing a food inflation problem,” he said.
Santin said he would accompany a Brazilian presidential mission to the Philippines from November 14 to 16. “We hope this issue will be on the agenda,” he said.
Santin also described the decision as a “paradox,” given that pork consumption has increased in the country while domestic production is insufficient to meet national demand. “They need imports,” he said.
Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement that it was “monitoring the implementation of the measure, particularly its start date, the volumes authorized, and its potential effects on Brazilian exports.”
