Philippines: Lowering Pork Tariffs and Raising Quota Volume

Responding to surging pork prices due to African swine fever’s devastating impact on the hog sector, the Philippines has temporarily lowered pork tariff rates and increased the quota volume. On May 15, 2021, President Duterte issued Executive Order 134, setting pork tariffs significantly lower than the original 30 percent in-quota and 40 percent out-quota rates. EO 134 follows considerable pushback by domestic industry and Congress to Executive Order 128, which the President issued on April 7, 2021 and set rates at 5 percentage points lower than EO 134. The President also issued Executive Order 133 on May 11, 2021, raising the Minimum Access Volume or tariff rate quota of pork imports from 54,210 MT to 254,210 MT.