Brazil, one of the Philippines major sources of poultry meat and poultry products, has advised the government authorities of its intention to bring to the World Trade Organization its “specific trade concerns” if it cannot immediately and completely revoke the ban on the importation of Brazil poultry meat into the country.

A letter by the Embassy of Brazil in Manila on October 19, 2020 to the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stated, “Brazil is determined to resort to the appropriate multilateral fora, including the filing of ‘Specific Trade Concerns’ to the detriment of the Philippines at the WTO, anchored by the guidelines recommended by that organization.”

Citing no scientific basis for the Philippine measure, the Brazil embassy concluded that the “ban on the import of Brazilian chicken meat goes against the precepts contained in Articles 2 and 5 of the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.”

Brazil maintained that its adheres to sanitary and phytosanitary dialogue with its trade partners in a frank, transparent and constructive manner and such is supported by scientific evidence.

It expressed confidence of having sufficiently clarified to the Philippine authorities stressing that from a technical point of view, “We are more than sufficient to support the immediate and complete revocation of the barrier imposed against imports of chicken meat from Brazil.”

The Brazil’s Manila embassy letter, which also copy furnished the Department of Agriculture, complained of the trade barrier as “unjustified and undue." Since, the barrier still remained, Brazil said it is determined to elevate its case against the Philippines before the WTO.

“The government of Brazil finds it important to underline that the Republic of the Philippines is today the only country to impose barriers aimed at Brazilian products having the COVID-19 pandemic as a motivation,” the embassy letter stated.

It could be recalled that the Philippines Department of Agriculture has imposed a temporary ban on the imports of poultry meat and its products from Brazil under Memorandum Order No 39/2020. The ban was imposed on issues of health certification procedures for poultry meat and its products following the country’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The DA, however, partially lifted the ban under MO No. 42/2020 allowing the entry of MDM only.

Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) then complained the “discrimination” on its other poultry meat products as it indicated that “there are no technical-scientific justification for the differential treatment of MDM poultry imports” relation to other types of poultry meat, or even meat “in natura” that can be subscribed to concerns derived from the current pandemic situation.

Brazil has insisted against any adjustments to its official health certification procedures on its poultry imports because “MAPA has not identified any technical reasons to sustain adjustments to the official health certification procedures for poultry meat and its products.” As such, exports to the Philippine market remained suspended.

Overall, Brazil only accounts for 2-3 percent of Philippines' total meat imports but it is the country's second biggest source of MDM for local meat processors. Brazil exported to the Philippines 39.250 million metric tons of MDM from January to July this year. MDM are used to produce hotdogs and meatloaves.

Data from the National Meat Inspection Service of the DA showed the Philippines has total meat stocks of 85.470 million kilograms, both imported and locally produced, as of October this this year. Importation of chicken cuts as of September this year was at 31.784 million kgs.