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Romania        | Import Duties On Pork Cuts Suspended Through End Of Y...

Published: Nov 11, 2003

Romania       

Import Duties On Pork Cuts Suspended Through End Of Year

The Romanian government has officially decided to suspend import duties for pork cuts through Dec. 31. Romania imports about half of all pork used by domestic processors, and Romania temporarily suspended duties on imported pork cuts from all countries in October to meet domestic demand.

USMEF and the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) had identified Romania’s problems with supply, and the FAS repeatedly requested better access into Romania for select pork cuts. Domestic pork prices rose after July 2003, when the country enforced a 45 percent safeguard tariff on Polish pork (now removed), thus reducing Polish sales to Romania.

The suspension of import duties is expected to result in better export opportunities for U.S. frozen pork cuts and offalls. In the first eight months of 2003, the U.S. exported 1,097 metric tons of pork and pork variety meat, a 477 percent increase over last year. The value of U.S. pork exports to Romania soared 328 percent to $1.02 million.

The following pork items will pay no import duties through Dec. 31, 2003:

 

HS Code

Product with zero duty (through 12/03)

0203

Meat of swine, fresh, chilled, frozen

0203.2211

Hams and parts thereof

0203.2219

Shoulders and parts thereof

0203.2915

Bacon and parts thereof

0203.2955

Boneless (trimmings, loins)

0206

Offalls fresh, chilled, frozen

0206.4920

Pig maw

0209.0011

Lard, fresh, chilled, salted

Romania       

Import Duties On Pork Cuts Suspended Through End Of Year

The Romanian government has officially decided to suspend import duties for pork cuts through Dec. 31. Romania imports about half of all pork used by domestic processors, and Romania temporarily suspended duties on imported pork cuts from all countries in October to meet domestic demand.

USMEF and the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) had identified Romania’s problems with supply, and the FAS repeatedly requested better access into Romania for select pork cuts. Domestic pork prices rose after July 2003, when the country enforced a 45 percent safeguard tariff on Polish pork (now removed), thus reducing Polish sales to Romania.

The suspension of import duties is expected to result in better export opportunities for U.S. frozen pork cuts and offalls. In the first eight months of 2003, the U.S. exported 1,097 metric tons of pork and pork variety meat, a 477 percent increase over last year. The value of U.S. pork exports to Romania soared 328 percent to $1.02 million.

The following pork items will pay no import duties through Dec. 31, 2003:

 

HS Code

Product with zero duty (through 12/03)

0203

Meat of swine, fresh, chilled, frozen

0203.2211

Hams and parts thereof

0203.2219

Shoulders and parts thereof

0203.2915

Bacon and parts thereof

0203.2955

Boneless (trimmings, loins)

0206

Offalls fresh, chilled, frozen

0206.4920

Pig maw

0209.0011

Lard, fresh, chilled, salted