Mexican Government Closes Ports to Pork

December 26, 2007 — 

In response to a nonbinding resolution passed by the Mexican Congress on November 22, 2007, and signed by the presidents of Mexico's three leading political parties, the Mexican Ministers of Agriculture and Economy have notified the Congress that the government will undertake several administrative actions that could seriously jeopardize exports of U.S. pork to Mexico. Mexican authorities are reviewing the list of U.S. plants and establishments approved to export U.S. pork to Mexico with the objective of removing from the list entities that consolidate pork consignments for onward export to Mexico.

As of December 11, 2007, Several U.S.-Mexican points of entry will no longer inspect and clear consignments of pork, pork carcasses, and pork variety meat for entry into Mexico. These changes were made to establish better verification and inspection of pork entering Mexico, according to Mexico's Secretariat of Agriculture. However, they are a cause of great concerns to exports.

The Mexican Meat Council (CMC), the association of meat processors of Mexico and the largest association of U.S. pork importers, agreed to voluntarily restrict imports of frozen pork in an effort to placate domestic pork producers. Approximately 15 percent of Mexico's imports of pork are frozen. According to media reports, CMC, in conjunction with the Confederation of Mexican Pork Producers (Confepor), agreed to participate in a pork import substitution program in order to increase purchases of domestic pork by local meat companies, Confepor's members. Mexico's Meat Processors' Association (Comecarne) has agreed to purchase approximately 6,000 tons of pork from Mexican Suppliers in addition to its members' regular requirements, increase purchases of bacon from the Mexican market, and not to import frozen pork legs for three months.

Source:
National Meat Association