The Philippines announced a planned 60-day suspension of pork imports from all countries, a move that could affect Brazilian exporters. (Foto: Instagram)
The Philippine government announced Nov. 9 that it would temporarily suspend pork imports for 60 days from all countries exporting the product to its market. Brazil is one of the Philippines’ major pork suppliers, and the country is concerned the measure could have a significant impact on its exports.
The provisional measure follows a safeguard investigation launched by the Philippine government, which Brazil is also monitoring. The Commercial Defense Office of the Philippine Department of Agriculture said the suspension could take effect later this week. The government said imports from 2021 through August 2026 had caused “serious and substantial injury” to the domestic pork industry and that critical circumstances warranted immediate action to prevent irreparable harm.
The measure covers nine tariff lines for pork products, including fresh, chilled and frozen meat, as well as offal. A provisional safeguard is a trade protection measure intended to shield domestic industry. The Philippines’ investigation is examining whether rising pork imports from various countries are harming local producers.
Some members of the Brazilian government expressed concern about the decision, according to officials who spoke anonymously. Still, the assessment in Brazil is that private companies may be able to redirect pork exports to other markets, including in Asia.
The announcement comes ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s state visit to the Philippines this week, at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Lula is also due to attend the ASEAN summit, which the Philippines is hosting. The two countries are expected to discuss ways to expand bilateral trade and renew a certificate recognizing the equivalence of Brazil’s sanitary inspection system. The certificate, which allows Brazil to export certain animal products to the Philippines, expires in February 2027. Although the pork suspension was not on the planned agenda, the two governments are expected to discuss it. Lula is scheduled to travel to the Philippines on Nov. 12 after attending COP31 in Turkey.
