THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has extended anew to 90 days the validity of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPS-IC) for meat imports as shipments are still delayed by global logistics problems.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar issued Administrative Order (AO) 02 to extend the validity of SPS-ICs for meat imports from 60 days to 90 days to alleviate shipping concerns by importers.
“The current Covid situation globally has resulted in supply chain issues and logistical difficulties,” Dar explained in the AO 2 issued recently.
“Meat importation contributes to the overall food supply and security of the country,” Dar added.
Dar issued a similar AO last year in response to the logistical problems experienced by meat importers. However, last year’s AO has already expired “even though the current difficulties remain,” according to the DA.
The extended validity of SPS-ICs for imported meat products will be effective until the end of the year, according to AO 02.
The BusinessMirror broke the story last year that meat importers count among the sectors hardest hit by the global shipping and logistical problems that arose from Covid-19 pandemic.
The Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) last year urged the government to extend the SPS-ICs for meat imports by 30 days to ensure the arrival of the meat supply.
Mita explained that shipping schedules last year were in “disarray” as result of Covid-19-related mobility restrictions, container imbalance and lack of vessels.
The group argued that an extension of validity for SPS-ICs is meant “to account for delayed sailings” while the proposed extension of the MAVICs’ validity is “to account for delayed arrivals.”
The importers face additional costs should the two documents go beyond their validity dates, which could be passed on the value chain—with consumers ultimately paying for it.
An expiration of the documents, despite the availability of the imported goods, would mean additional “delay and unnecessary workload” for the DA since importers will have to apply for new ones.
Driven by higher pork imports, the country’s meat imports from January to November last year expanded by more than 30 percent to a record level of nearly 1.1 million metric tons (MMT), based on government data.
Data released by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed that overall meat imports during the 11-month period reached 1.09 MMT, 32 percent higher than the 825,000 MT recorded in the same period of 2020.