Overview
- The Argentine Pork Federation reports 4,600 tonnes of pork worth US$125 million entered in September, with roughly half being bondiola and 97.8% sourced from Brazil.
- The inflow added about 2,000 tonnes of bondiola, equivalent to a month of local output, which doubled supply for that cut and pushed prices and margins down.
- Producers say many imported cuts arrive frozen with added water, undermining consumer perception of Argentine pork and complicating carcass integration for local packers.
- The industry points to a cost gap linked to Brazil’s use of ractopamine for about a 6% productivity boost, while a 2011 Argentine rule left the substance effectively off-limits despite legal ambiguity.
- Sector leaders call for a China sanitary protocol for low‑value subproducts, relief from VAT distortions, access to longer-term financing, and progress on Aujeszky eradication while rejecting market closures and asking to compete on fair terms.