The Philippines is expected to expand its meat imports to a record high of more than 1.7 million metric tons in carcass weight equivalent (MT-CWE) this year to supplement domestic production, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In its latest Food Outlook...
The country’s rice imports surged 23 percent to nearly 2.4 million metric tons (MT) from January to May compared to the same period last year, as traders rushed to fortify inventories ahead of an expected dip in local production. Citing Bureau of Customs (BOC) data, the Congressional Policy and...
The Tariff Commission (TC) has launched an investigation to determine the merits of a proposal seeking to implement a uniform five-percent tariff rate on corn imports to prevent increases in pork and chicken prices. In a notice dated June 10, the TC said it has started a probe into a petition filed...
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has renewed calls for stronger safeguards for local onion farmers noting how most of them are affected by the rampant importation. Pangilinan made the call after joining officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and Bureau of...
The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) has expressed opposition to the allocation of import volume under the expanded minimum access volume (MAV) for pork shipments, warning that it could disrupt supply chains and affect retail prices. In a statement on Friday, June 5, AmCham...
The country’s meat imports from January to April expanded by 22 percent to nearly 580,000 metric tons (MT) compared to the previous year, driven largely by pork products as demand continues to outpace local production. Based on data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the total volume of...
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is imposing a safeguard duty of ₱349 per metric ton (MT) on cement imports from neighboring China and Indonesia after both countries’ outbound shipments to the Philippines exceeded the exemption threshold. Under Department Administrative Order (DAO)...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is gearing up for the implementation of the government policy expanding the minimum access volume (MAV) for pork imports to temper retail prices and maintain sufficient supply. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the DA is taking the lead in drafting...
CEBU CITY – The Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc. (PROPORK), the umbrella organization of independent hog farmers and cooperatives in the country, on Monday, May 25, strongly opposed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to increase the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for...
As the Bureau of Customs (BOC) targets the rollout of a new top importers office (TIO) by the third quarter of 2026, Manila Bulletin has learned that the bureau is eyeing up to 2,000 major importers that account for nearly three-fourths of annual revenues of the country ’s second largest...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is keeping the same volume of pork imports subject to a lower tariff rate under its revised minimum access volume (MAV) policy as it seeks to restore competitiveness in the market. “All of our regular MAV quotas will be the same as last year. It’s just the...
The Philippines expanded its rice importation by 18 percent to 1.7 million metric tons (MT) during the first four months of 2026 as the government looks to bolster the supply of the commodity amid expectations of lower output in the coming months. The latest Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data...
