DA firm on poultry ban as Brazil goes to WTO

MANILA is standing its ground and is keeping the ban on Brazilian poultry products, except mechanically deboned meat (MDM), until it is satisfied with how Brasilia curbed the Covid-19 outbreaks in its meat- exporting plants.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it welcomes the action of the Government of Brazil to raise a dispute case against the Philippines at the World Trade Organization ( WTO) for maintaining the import ban, which it called an “unjustified and undue barrier.”

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said the Brazilian government has yet to comply with all the documents that the Department of Agriculture (DA) is requiring regarding the Covid-19 infections in Brazil’s Philippine-accredited foreign meat establishments (FMES).

“Although we have maintained an open communication line with our Brazilian counterparts, the Department of Agriculture welcomes the initiative of Brazil to elevate the matter to the WTO,” Dar said.

“We have not yet lifted the ban on poultry, especially whole chicken, as the Brazilian government has yet to furnish the Philippines a report on the rates of SARS- COV-2 infection in their respective foreign meat establishments, where our imports are sourced,” he added.

The DA said the additional reports that Brazil has yet to submit are part of the protocols of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) that will be used for a “more in-depth risk analysis of the situation.”

“It is within the scope of the importing country to preemptively ban FMES with apparent biosafety lapses until such time that the Philippines is satisfied with evidence of compliance and/or commitment by the FME concerned,” Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Ronnie D. Domingo said.

Domingo, who is the country’s Chief Veterinary Officer, added that the Philippine government has been prompt in responding to the issue, citing Manila’s partial lifting of the ban on Brazilian poultry MDM after it received “partial

documents” from Brazil.

“MDM goes directly to accredited local meat processing plants upon which the Philippine government can impose direct monitoring and regulation,” he added.

Nonetheless, Dar said the country “has always been facilitative of trade and open to discussion on trade issues which may not be acceptable to a trading partner.”

He added, “We welcome continued bilateral consultations with the Brazilian government, as we have always been, to discuss this matter further towards mutual resolution.”

Jhunafe A. Ruanto, a trade facilitation analyst, said the country’s import ban on Brazilian products is covered by its right to impose such stringent measures over food safety and health concerns amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In terms of trading, when we see or hear reports that products test positive to certain diseases or bacteria, we have the right to impose an import ban,” Ruanto said in a press briefing organized by Tugon Kabuhayan on Monday.

“Sometimes, we ban meat from countries for an identified period of time. The import bans [will be lifted] until [the exporting country] certifies that their products are safe, especially during this time when people have been more conscious of their health due to Covid-19,” Ruanto, who once worked on updating the country’s non-tariff measures database, added.

In a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil said the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil has “promptly forwarded the required information and clarifications” regarding the Covid-19 outbreak concerns in its meat-packing plants to the Philippines.

Furthermore, Brazil’s Embassy reiterated that “it had adopted preventive measures to ensure the high level of sanitary safety in refrigeration plants to guarantee the continuity of healthy food to society” based on latest international guidelines.

“Bearing these actions in mind, MAPA has indicated that there are no technical- scientific justifications for the differential treatment of MDM poultry imports in relation to other types of poultry meat, or even meat ‘ in natura’, considering the concerns derived from the current pandemic situation,” the letter, dated October 19, read. It was also sent to the DA.

Sans the scientific justification on the import ban, Brazil’s Embassy said it violates Articles 2 and 5 of the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures.

“Such an unjustified and undue barrier has not been lifted so far. 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,” the letter read.