The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says allowing Mexico to export pork to the U.S. is a sign of good trade relations.
The Department of Agriculture last week finalized a regulation allowing Mexican states to export pork to the United States. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is implementing a science-based risk assessment that determined Mexico is free of Classical Swine Fever, a highly contagious viral disease in pigs. It was eradicated from the United States in the late 1970s. APHIS in 2016 concluded that the risk of the disease from pork imports from Mexico is negligible.
Noting that Mexico is the second largest export market for U.S. pork, NPPC President Ken Maschhoff says: “Maintaining our good relationship with that country by ensuring fair and reciprocal trade is paramount for our producers.”
Mexico first requested access to the U.S. market in 2007, but USDA determined Mexico’s control program for Classical Swine Fever was not sufficient to classify the country as negligible risk for the disease.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.