Philippines Department of Agriculture proposes pork tariff hikes

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) is proposing a phased increase in pork import tariffs to support local hog raisers facing declining farmgate prices. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. informed industry leaders that the DA has discussed returning tariff levels to those seen before the African Swine Fever outbreak with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The proposal includes a 10-percentage-point increase in 2027, raising in-quota rates from 15 percent to 25 percent and out-quota rates from 25 percent to 35 percent. By 2028, the DA aims to reach in-quota rates of 30 percent and out-quota rates of 40 percent.

This move follows a 6 percent increase in domestic hog production during the first half of 2026, even as farmgate prices dropped from P215 per kilogram in June 2025 to P150 per kilogram in August 2026. The DA is also seeking a specific tariff line for frozen pork jowls to prevent them from competing unfairly with domestic pork due to lower tariff treatments.