Argentina reverts to hampering pork trade from Brazil
12.11.2012
The Argentine government has again suspended the issuance of advance import affidavits for pork from Brazil. These documents were created in February to authorise, on a case by case basis, the purchase of products from outside the Argentine border.
The Argentine step is the next move in a longer struggle between the two countries on exports of agricultural goods.
According to Guillermo Moreno, domestic trade secretary, the move is related to a broken promise over Brazilian imports of lemons from Argentina.
Brazilian pork was one of the products that was blocked to enter Argentina, the Brazilian newspaper Valor Econômico reports. Tatiana Prazeres, Brazilian secretary of foreign trade, will meet with her Argentine counterparts today in São Paulo to address this situation. For Argentina, this could be either Moreno himself or Beatriz Paglieri, secretary of foreign trade.
Low amounts
In October 2012, Brazil’s exports of pork to Argentina amounted to 2,370 tonnes, valued at BR$8.1 million (US$16.5 million), the lowest amount since June. For these exports, affidavits were used issued in July and August. In September, pork exports were still at 3,269 tonnes.
If this pace of decline continues, a situation of pork shortage could occur in Argentina, as the country is for about 80% self-sufficient — and again 85% of its pork imports come from Brazil. Argentina consumes roughly 360,000 tonnes pork/year.
