British Chamber reinforces UK meat exports to assist on inflation, supply

Philstar.com

August 26, 2026 | 3:49pm

The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) echoes the concern of the industry groups on the Department Order No. 25 by the Department of Agriculture (DA), noting the imposition of volume-based special safeguard (SSG) measures on agricultural commodities such as meat of bovine, meat of swine, and chicken curry for retail sale. 

The Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA) President Emeritus Jesus Cham previously noted that this will impact the commodities’ landed cost, therefore, increasing consumer and retail prices.

Meanwhile, BCCP Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson also raised concern on the potential inflationary impact of the said order. He further welcomed the government’s efforts to manage inflation, which has witnessed a downward trend in July 2026 at 6.2%, while food inflation steadied at 5.3% with slower price increases in meat and vegetables. 

The Chamber also previously supported the Executive Order No. 116 signed on 19 May 2026, mandating the increase of the minimum access volume (MAV) for pork imports from 54,210 metric tons to 204,210 metric tons, noting in its official statement that, “We have consistently advocated for lower tariffs on pork and other meat products and have supported, since 2023, the proposed increase in the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) to better align with the country’s growing population, address supply challenges arising from African Swine Fever (ASF), and help mitigate food inflation.”

The Bureau of Animal Industry reported a total of active ASF cases in 12 regions, 20 provinces, 41 cities/municipalities and 65 barangays as of Aug. 7, 2026.

With this, the Chamber has welcomed increasing agricultural trade between the UK and the Philippines that assisted through British meat exports and regionalization efforts to combat the rise of ASF and ensure safeguard mechanisms. 

In an interview, Nelson said that, “the UK has continued to grow. I think we are up now, year-to-date, 8% on volume for pork. We are not the largest, but I think that's grown. We work with a trade board in the UK, called AHDB (Agricultural Horticultural Development Board). And they have actually been to the Philippines either virtually or in person, now eight times. And they are coming again this November, which shows the commitment they want to work with local companies and develop business ties.”

The Chamber will continuously work and remain open to discussion alongside the Department of Agriculture and concerned agencies and industry associations to monitor the development of the SSG measures to seek expertise and transparency on importation prices and volume breach, the minimum access volume, as well as any potential impact on food inflation and supply. 

Disclaimer: This is externally supplied material from a third party and is not a product of reporting or editorial work by the Philstar.com newsroom.

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