{
  "id": 10898371,
  "title": "British Chamber urges clarity on pork tariffs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/british-chamber-urges-clarity-on-pork-tariffs",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-30T07:52:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Philippine Star Business",
    "slug": "philippine-star-business",
    "url": "https://www.philstar.com/biz-memos/2026/09/30/2560024/british-chamber-urges-clarity-pork-tariffs"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) has called for greater clarity on proposed tariff increases on imported pork to prevent potential inflationary pressures and supply shortages. This plea comes in the wake of the Department of Agriculture's (DA) suggestion to raise tariffs on pork and frozen pork jowl. The BCCP's concerns are rooted in the current state of local pork production, which is still recovering from the impact of African Swine Fever (ASF).\n\nThe BCCP had previously endorsed Executive Order No. 116, s. 2026, which raised the minimum access volume (MAV) for pork imports for 2026 from 54,210 metric tons (MT) to 204,210 MT. This move was part of the Philippine government's strategy to ensure a stable food supply and curb inflation caused by the Middle East conflict-induced oil price hikes, transport costs, and animal feed prices.\n\nBCCP Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson expressed the need for clarification, stating that while pork imports have seen a 4% increase, beef imports have surged by 56%. He emphasized the necessity to discuss potential tariff hikes with the DA Secretary and the Department of Agriculture, as such measures seem to contradict the ongoing efforts to boost supply, especially when inflation control is paramount. Despite a slight deceleration in headline inflation to 6.1% and food inflation at 4.6% in August, the risk to the local supply and inflation is still looming large.\n\nAccording to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the hog inventory dropped to 8.70 million heads in the first quarter of 2026, marking the lowest domestic swine population since 1994. The BCCP's Nelson reiterated the restricted supply situation, citing the contrasting growth in human population from 1994 to the current population of nearly 120 million, compared to the swine population growth of nearly 70 million. ASF remains a challenge, as the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported its active presence in 13 regions, 31 provinces, 107 cities/municipalities, and 293 barangays as of 24 September 2026.\n\nAlthough the UK is not among the Philippines' top sources of pork and beef imports, the BCCP noted the growing interest from British exporters, with UK pork and beef exports rising by nearly 4% and 54% in volume, respectively, year-to-date in July 2026. The BCCP has maintained a longstanding partnership with the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) since 2021, organizing trade missions to the Philippines to explore market opportunities and strengthen relations with the government and the private sector. The AHDB is scheduled to conduct its ninth trade mission to the Philippines on November 19-20, 2026, highlighting the industry's continued engagement, increasing exports, and commitment to the Philippine market.",
  "summary": "Following the Department of Agriculture’s reported proposal to increase the tariffs on imported pork and frozen pork jowl, the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines echoed the statements of industry associations and urged more clarity on tariff rules to avoid inflationary pressures and shortage in supply, considering that local production remains under recovery due to the presence of the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}