Philippines pork imports face 60-day suspension as hog raisers seek higher tariffs

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Philippines pork import suspension

Highlights

Department of Agriculture imposes a 60-day suspension on fresh and frozen pork imports under Department Order 33, citing oversupply and potential for extension.
Pork imports in 2025 totaled 836,240 metric tons (+42% vs 2023), with imported pork accounting for 65% of market supply in the first half of 2026.
Domestic hog raisers suffered P27.9 billion losses in seven months to July, with farmgate prices dropping to P175.75 from P198.30 in 2025 and industry seeking higher tariffs and extended import bans.

Import suspension plan and supply conditions

As reported by BusinessWorld Online, the Department of Agriculture is imposing a 60-day suspension on imports of fresh and frozen pork cuts, including ham, pork shoulder, carcasses and edible offal, under Department Order 33 and the Safeguard Measures Act.

The suspension starts once the Bureau of Customs issues an implementing order. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. says the ban could still be extended because of oversupply, adding that planning has been under way since July and that the original target had been the first week of December before the timetable was moved up to this month.

The department says pork imports in 2025 reached 836,240 metric tons, up 42% from 2023. Imported pork accounted for 65% of pork available on the market in the first half of 2026, up from 61% in 2025 and 39% in 2021, while frozen pork imports climbed to 121,000 metric tons in July, up 83% from a year earlier and more than double the July 2024 level.

Pressure on hog raisers and tariff demands

The Department of Agriculture says domestic production met 65.5% of demand in 2025, down from 74.3% in 2021, and the rate fell to 54% in the first eight months of 2026. Imports now account for 94% of pork inventory, while imported product makes up 55% of actual domestic consumption.

That pressure has pushed the average farmgate price down to P175.75 in the first half from P198.30 in 2025, with some producers selling hogs for as little as P120 per kilogram. The department estimates domestic hog raisers lost P27.9 billion in the seven months to July and says that figure could reach P55.8 billion by year end if weak prices persist.

The department is counting on the import halt to lift farmgate prices by at least P50, though officials say they are watching for hoarding and do not expect unusual retail price spikes during the holidays. Mr. Laurel says backyard raisers currently receive about P142 and commercial farms about P150, while breakeven is around P165, subject to changes in fuel costs and other inputs.

Industry groups say the 60-day freeze is not enough and are calling for tariffs to return to 30% for shipments within the minimum access volume quota and 40% for volumes above the quota, from the current 15% and 25%. They also want the import ban extended through the first quarter of 2027 as the sector continues to recover from the African Swine Fever outbreak in 2019, which cut the national hog herd by about one-third from its pre-ASF peak of around 13 million to 14 million head.

In our earlier article on WTO warnings about conflict-driven trade disruption, we highlighted how wars and rising geopolitical risks are forcing companies to rework supply chains and shipping routes, often at higher cost. We also noted the expectation that some of these shifts could persist even after tensions ease, as businesses and countries try to reduce exposure to future shocks. That backdrop helps explain why policymakers are increasingly sensitive to import flows and market imbalances in key commodities.

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