U.S lifts ban on pork importation from Mexico

The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) just passed a rule that recognizes that Mexico no longer harbors the dreaded Classical Swine Fever (CSF). This implies that states in Mexico are now permitted to export pork to the United States.

According to the agency, Mexico’s government requested and invited the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to come for a thorough review. This exercise also included the updating of its initial risk assessment in 2016 which followed a site visit conducted in 2015.

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Consequently, the APHIS has been able to determine that it is no longer risky to import live swine, pork, swine genetics as well as pork products and the chances of introducing CSF into the United States is very low, according to the agency.
The agency further added that as long as the conditions proposed in APHIS’s import regulations are adhered to, those items can be imported safely.

Classical Swine Fever (CSF) is a highly communicable disease which is commonly found in pigs that were done away with as far back as the late ‘70s.

National Pork Producers Council President, Ken Maschhoff said that the United States pork industry has always been a strong supporter of free trade and the utilization of epidemiological science as well as risk analyses to ascertain if a trade can be securely conducted between nations or countries.

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According to Maschoff, ‘Mexico had always been No. 2 export market, so it is in our best interest to maintain our beneficial relationship with that country by making sure that reciprocal and fair trade remains vital for our producers.’
Pork exports to Mexico last year – through November – amounted to about 726, 717 metric tons. That number alone accounts for virtually one-third of the total volume of U.S. export, and according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, this was valued at about $1.37 billion.

Although the United States is the largest exporter of pork, it is a somewhat minor importer, and most of the imports are from Canada with a few imports from Mexico as well. A majority of the pork imports which are in very high demand – compared to other markets – in the United States are ribs.

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The United States is currently the world’s third-largest producer of pork as well as the largest exporter. From 2008 to 2013, U.S. pork production made up nearly 10 percent of the global output. China is the leading producer – and consumer – of pork and represents for approximately one-half of both.

The European Union (EU) comes is the second –largest producer of pork, yet they are the largest net exporter. The EU accounted for more than 20 percent of global production of pork from 2008 to 2013.

Swine production in the U.S. is generally by large-scale commercial procedures. Most of the pigs raised in the U.S. are managed by producers that own more than 5,000 swine, though a fraction of these swine is owned by firms that own more than 50,000 swine each. Throughout this period – i.e. 2008-2013 – the pork processing industry in the U.S. has been very concentrated.

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