December 31, 2024

Argentina gains approval to export meat products to the Philippines

Argentina has secured approval to export poultry, pork, bone-in beef cuts, and giblets to the Philippines.

The agreement also includes mutual recognition of the control and certification systems of both countries, paving the way for expedited future approvals, according to an announcement made in Buenos Aires.

The approval sets a 15-day timeline for the official opening of the market. During this period, technical teams from the Philippine Sanitary Service will begin evaluating the veterinary certificates proposed by Argentina to facilitate the commencement of exports.

The Argentine Government highlighted the significance of the equivalence between the two countries' control systems, noting that it simplifies the qualification process for Argentine establishments interested in exporting meat to the Philippines.

The agreement is the result of coordinated efforts involving the Economy Ministry's Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries Secretariat, the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa), and the Argentine Embassy in Manila. Two visits by Philippine delegations to Argentina earlier this year were pivotal in achieving the deal. These visits allowed Philippine officials to inspect and verify Senasa's official control systems to produce beef, pork, and poultry meat.

In 2023, the Philippines imported over US$1.75 billion worth of meat and by-products from various countries, marking a 17% year-on-year increase between January and October, according to the Philippine Department of Agriculture.

-      MercoPress