Philippines Food Terminal to Seek Pork Bids March 11
Philippines Food Terminal to Seek Pork Bids March 11
The Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), a Philippines government-owned and controlled corporation attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA), is set to bid out 1,500 metric tons (3.3 million pounds) of various pork cuts and pork bellies on March 11.
In a notice published Feb. 27, FTI indicated that the meat will be imported under the so-called tax expenditure subsidy, which means the products will effectively enter the Philippines at zero duty. Pork imports that are within the so-called minimum access volume (MAV) committed to the World Trade Organization are normally slapped with a tariff of 30 percent. These pork imports will, however, be subject to payment of a service fee equivalent to P15 (about $0.32) per kilogram.
Following is a link to FTI’s Web page for invitations for public bidding: http://www.fti.gov.ph/home-BAC.htm. For specifics on the bidding announcement, click here.
“Qualified private importers under this project should be accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service to import meat and meat products or legitimate importers of hog raisers’ associations in the Philippines,” the notice reads.
The pork imports, according to FTI, should arrive not later than May 7, 2010. Bidders of the project whose imports will arrive prior to May 7 will be entitled to a rebate of P5 (nearly $0.11) per kilogram.
FTI said it will follow the “Systematic Distribution Procedure [SDP]” by the MAV Secretariat under the DA using the economic quantity of 25 metric tons (55,115 pounds).
The preliminary conference for the pork imports will be held on March 3.
While the FTI was not available to offer details behind the importation of pork products, Albert Lim, president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI), said that one reason could be the high prices of pork in the domestic market.
“We did not oppose it anymore,” said Lim when asked whether NFHFI is amenable to the importation. Based on the latest monitor of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics in wet markets in metro Manila as of Feb. 25, lean meat or pork kasim is now sold at P180 ($3.90) per kilo, while pork belly now sells for P190 ($4.12) per kilo.
Compared to the prices registered on Dec. 22, 2009, the current prices of pork products are higher by P10 (NEARLY $0.22) per kilo. An industry source said the imports are probably for the requirements of institutional users.
Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) is one of the largest industrial complexes in metro Manila. The Agro- Industrial-Commercial Estate was envisioned to trigger the entry of private entrepreneurs at the vast leasable portions of the FTI site and to create a conducive business atmosphere essential to the development of the complex. Currently, more than 300 firms from light-to-medium scale industries have established their plants and facilities in the complex. They are engaged in various lines of production and services such as electronics, food, transport, garments and general warehousing.
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.
Philippines Food Terminal to Seek Pork Bids March 11
The Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), a Philippines government-owned and controlled corporation attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA), is set to bid out 1,500 metric tons (3.3 million pounds) of various pork cuts and pork bellies on March 11.
In a notice published Feb. 27, FTI indicated that the meat will be imported under the so-called tax expenditure subsidy, which means the products will effectively enter the Philippines at zero duty. Pork imports that are within the so-called minimum access volume (MAV) committed to the World Trade Organization are normally slapped with a tariff of 30 percent. These pork imports will, however, be subject to payment of a service fee equivalent to P15 (about $0.32) per kilogram.
Following is a link to FTI’s Web page for invitations for public bidding: http://www.fti.gov.ph/home-BAC.htm. For specifics on the bidding announcement, click here.
“Qualified private importers under this project should be accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service to import meat and meat products or legitimate importers of hog raisers’ associations in the Philippines,” the notice reads.
The pork imports, according to FTI, should arrive not later than May 7, 2010. Bidders of the project whose imports will arrive prior to May 7 will be entitled to a rebate of P5 (nearly $0.11) per kilogram.
FTI said it will follow the “Systematic Distribution Procedure [SDP]” by the MAV Secretariat under the DA using the economic quantity of 25 metric tons (55,115 pounds).
The preliminary conference for the pork imports will be held on March 3.
While the FTI was not available to offer details behind the importation of pork products, Albert Lim, president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI), said that one reason could be the high prices of pork in the domestic market.
“We did not oppose it anymore,” said Lim when asked whether NFHFI is amenable to the importation. Based on the latest monitor of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics in wet markets in metro Manila as of Feb. 25, lean meat or pork kasim is now sold at P180 ($3.90) per kilo, while pork belly now sells for P190 ($4.12) per kilo.
Compared to the prices registered on Dec. 22, 2009, the current prices of pork products are higher by P10 (NEARLY $0.22) per kilo. An industry source said the imports are probably for the requirements of institutional users.
Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) is one of the largest industrial complexes in metro Manila. The Agro- Industrial-Commercial Estate was envisioned to trigger the entry of private entrepreneurs at the vast leasable portions of the FTI site and to create a conducive business atmosphere essential to the development of the complex. Currently, more than 300 firms from light-to-medium scale industries have established their plants and facilities in the complex. They are engaged in various lines of production and services such as electronics, food, transport, garments and general warehousing.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.