Pig raisers vow to fight US imports
Thai pig raisers plan to launch a protest in front of Government House if the state bows to American pressure to allow imports of US pork.
According to Surachai Sutthitham, president of the Thai Swine Raisers Association, pig farmers nationwide will not take kindly to imports of US pork, as this will likely lead to the collapse of the domestic pig farming industry.
“Members of pig-farming-related associations and 19 cooperatives are set to sit in protest against the government if it allows imports of US pork,” he said, adding that domestic pig farmers are loss-ridden after suffering from oversupply.
According to Mr Surachai, the ex-farm price of pork fetches just 50 baht per kg, much lower than the farmers’ production costs of 64 baht per kg.
Domestic demand is estimated at 14 million pigs this year, while production is expected to reach 18 million pigs.
Mr Surachai cited the experience of Vietnam, where the industry has suffered heavy losses from underpriced US pork after the Vietnamese government opened up the market.
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) said in a release yesterday that it would review Thailand’s eligibility for trade preferences after American pork producers raised concerns over the issue.
“Congress directs USTR to ensure that beneficiary countries are permitting equitable and reasonable market access for American goods,” the release said.
A petition from the US-based National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) raised questions regarding Thailand’s compliance with the criteria for GSP (generalised system of preferences) eligibility.
“Thailand for years has wilfully denied equitable access to our products,” NPPC president Jim Heimerl said in a release. “We’re pleased that USTR is going to look into the unfair treatment US goods are getting from Thailand.”
In April, the NPPC filed a GSP review with the trade representative, citing Thailand’s failure to provide access to its market for US products, including pork.
The group said Thailand, through exorbitant tariffs and “de facto bans”, severely limits US pork imports while enjoying a most-favoured nation (MFN) tariff rate on agriculture exports to the US.
The NPPC urged the Trump administration to withdraw or limit Thailand’s benefits under the MFN programme, which allows for removal of a country’s benefits if the US is not permitted fair and reasonable access to the market.
In 2017, US pork exports to Thailand totalled 31 tonnes valued at roughly $128,000, according to the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
The EU supplies the vast majority of Thailand’s imported pork, the USMEF said.