American meat industry organizations are pressing the administration of US President Donald Trump to intervene against the Philippines’ proposed tariff hikes and import restrictions on pork, warning that the measures threaten to further diminish the market share of US producers.
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)—representing over 60,000 US hog producers—has formally asked the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Philippine Tariff Commission to oppose the plan, labeling the proposed tariff increases “unjustified.”
The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing to revert tariff rates to 30 percent for in-quota shipments and 40 percent for out-quota volumes to protect local hog raisers. Current rates are temporarily lowered to 15 percent for in-quota imports within the 204,210-metric-ton minimum access volume (MAV) and 25 percent for out-quota shipments.
The NPPC argued that raising duties is counterproductive because domestic pork demand continues to outpace local supply, noting that imported pork helps fill a critical supply gap.
According to the group, US pork exports to the Philippines already dropped by roughly 38 percent—falling from $213 million in 2021 to $133 million in 2025—while Brazil emerged as the country’s top pork supplier due to competitive pricing and broader market access. The NPPC is urging the USTR to block the hike and push for lower duties instead.
In addition to the tariff debate, the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) has opposed a separate DA proposal to temporarily suspend sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) for up to two months, a move Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. indicated could halt certain pork imports from mid-November until early next year.
“The US is already a minor pork supplier to the market, due in part to the massive influx of Brazilian pork and continued strong competition from the EU (European Union). Additional barriers would further limit US potential in the large Philippine market,” the USMEF stated.
Meanwhile, the Virginia-based Meat Institute criticized the Philippines for imposing restrictive nonscientific regulatory schemes, reference pricing mechanisms, and complex inspection policies. The group also raised concerns over pre-notification and e-invoicing systems, which it argues create redundant procedures and drive up costs for approved US meat and poultry products.
“The Philippines has also in recent years attempted to implement or has established nonscientific regulatory schemes, inspection policies, and reference pricing mechanisms that have either impacted US meat and poultry trade or have the potential to constrain US exports of these products should such policies be fully enforced,” the Meat Institute noted, adding that “additional systems, processes, and documentation should not be required to confer export eligibility of US meat and poultry products destined for the Philippines.”