Overview
- A new PACIC decree imposes tariffs on beef and pork from countries without free‑trade agreements and creates tariff‑free quotas of 70,000 tonnes for beef and 51,000 tonnes for pork.
- Agriculture, Economy and Finance coordinated the measure, which the government says safeguards supply and aligns with rural welfare and food‑security goals.
- Producer groups CNOG, Opormex and AMEG endorsed the scheme, citing protection for about 750,000 small and medium bovine producers and longer‑term aims for greater domestic pork self‑sufficiency.
- GCMA argues the licitation mechanism would raise costs, encourage speculation and act more like a revenue tool than a supply stabilizer.
- Analysts warn the pork quota may not match industrial needs and, coupled with opaque allocation rules that ignored CONAMER feedback, could create bottlenecks and push consumer prices higher.