February 18, 2005

Canadian hog exports soon to be affected by anti-dumping duties

Canada's live hog exports to the United States in 2005 are seen to fall from the levels seen in 2004. This comes as increased domestic capacity comes on line and anti-dumping duties force American end-users to look elsewhere for feeder pigs.

Although the impact of the US anti-dumping duty on Canadian live hogs has not had a significant impact yet, that may soon change, according to Martin Rice, the executive director of the Canadian Pork Council.

"Right now, especially for the feeder pigs, the cost of the duty is being shared by the Canadian producers and the US client," Rice said. "Individuals who want these types of pigs have not yet been able to secure supply from other locations, as it takes some time to ramp up that kind of production."