The Mexican government has dropped its antidumping duty order on live hogs from the U.S.
National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Jon Caspers says the move was long past due and credited the pressure of U.S. government officials for the positive outcome.
But Caspers expressed concern about U.S. pork exports. “Getting the antidumping order on hogs terminated is a positive development, but our biggest concern is with pork,” he says.
“Mexico initiated an antidumping investigation of U.S. pork exports on Jan. 7. Our producers have suffered 18 straight months of losses, and we simply cannot withstand any restriction whatsoever on our pork exports to Mexico. We hope that Mexico will soon terminate the dumping investigation on pork.”
The hog antidumping inquiry began in October 1998. Mexico issued a final ruling on Oct. 20, 1999 that U.S. imports were being dumped at a rate of 15.3 cents per pound (or 48.33% ad valorem), threatening the Mexican hog industry.
That ruling has served as a de facto embargo on U.S. lightweight hog exports preferred by Mexican buyers.
As a hog-deficit country, Mexico could use some heavyweight hogs. Some have been shipped from the U.S. to Mexico. However, Mexico has employed a variety of unfair sanitary/veterinary restrictions to impede those exports, according to NPPC.