The Agriculture Ministry of Costa Rica announced it will impede the entrance of meat from Uruguay, arguing sanitary risks.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
However, in contradictory statements, Gerardo Vicente, director of the Costa Rican Animal Health Service (Service), expressed that studies analyzing Uruguayan meat exports have not discovered any problems with the product, and they could not foresee the need for a future health barrier.
The announcement by the Ministry seems to be in response to pressure by the National Livestock Breeding Corporation (Corfoga), who "is trying to protect its members from meat imports from Uruguay, which can be up to 50% cheaper than national meat". In addition to the price difference, Uruguayan meats have the advantage of world renowned quality.
Back in August, Costa Rican breeders had requested to increase the tariff paid by Uruguayan meats from 15% to 45%, but "a technical study determined that the tariff barrier cannot be justified, as imports only represent 5% of the national production".
If Costa Rican businessmen still had doubts about the direction to be taken by the new Alvarado administration in agricultural matters, the affirmations made by the newly-appointed minister of Agriculture and Livestock have managed to dissipate them completely.
Panamanian food authorities have given permission for six facilities to export Uruguayan dairy to that market.
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
On Wednesday May 22 this year, both the General Director of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay (MGAP) Alberto Castelar, and the Director of the International Affairs Unit Alejandro Mernies of the same ministry announced a new breakthrough in international integration as part of the Government's strategic guidelines in market diversification.This news was that Panamanian food safety authorities have given permission for six facilities to export Uruguayan bovine dairy products to that market.
Following a lengthy certification process, China has opened up to beef imports from Costa Rica, but farmers say they don’t have enough production.
In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica (COMEX) it was announced that "The authorities of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ) reported that Costa Rica has been officially included in the list of countries with authorization to export beef to China .... the opening up of China for the export of frozen beef meat is the result of intensive work by the National Animal Health Service, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica (COMEX) and the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) to achieve compliance with the requirements for signing the SPS protocols that allow access of Costa Rican agricultural products to the Chinese market. "
Fearing massive meat imports from South America, they are requesting to increase tariffs from 15 to 45%.
Meat price in the Southern Cone of America is normally half the price of meat in Costa Rica or U.S., but imports from these markets where not possible due to sanitary restrictions.
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