The Bureau of Customs (BOC) guaranteed the stringent monitoring against pork smuggling amidst the low meat supply in the market.
Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez strictly reminded the bureau especially in time for President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s approval of the expansion of the minimum access volume allocation and lowering of tariff in pork products from countries without African Swine Fever (ASF).
He cautioned that importers of “edible offal” may take advantage of the said expansion by declaring innards as prime pork shipment in order to avoid paying high import tax. The Department of Agriculture (DA) has recommended on February 3 to expand the amount of pork to be imported to the country while local production of pork meat is limited. Report from Naomi Tiburcio
