THE Philippines reinstituted the 90-day validity of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPS-IC) for imported meat products to ensure the country’s food security, as the arrival of shipments is taking a longer time due to disrupted global supply lines.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar issued Administrative Order (AO) 15 series of 2022 to reinstate the temporary extension of the SPS-IC validity for imported meat products to three months from two months.
Dar earlier issued AO 11 series of 2022, reverting SPS-IC validity for imported meat products to 60 days, citing the “gradual easing” of the global Covid-19 situation. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/05/24/da-restores-60-day-spsic-validity-for-meat-imports/)
Dar’s decision prompted meat industry groups to urge him to keep the 90-day SPS-IC validity, arguing that the global supply chain and logistics remained disrupted amid economic challenges, including the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
In his latest order, Dar conceded that the global shipping situation is still volatile, resulting in delayed arrivals of imported meat products into the country.
He noted that the reintroduction by other countries of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 variants affected port and shipping operations, with vessels sailing at partial capacity.
“Major international shipping lines, which represent 80 percent of the overall container trade, reported that at least 30 percent of sailings will be blocked for Chinese companies in the next few months due to an increased demand for their commodities, thus delaying the entire logistics chain of meat commodities to the Philippines,” he said.
“There is an imminent threat of a global food crisis warranting the need to ensure the overall food supply and security of the country,” he added.
The BusinessMirror broke the story earlier this week that the country’s food supply continues to reel from persisting global logistics problems, such as lack of vessels and port congestion, forcing delayed arrivals of certain commodities, including meat products. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/06/07/persisting-logistics-crunch-squeezes-supply/)
The Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) and Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) earlier urged Dar to restore the 90-day validity of SPS-ICs for imported meat products, as the industry grapples with a global logistics situation in disarray.
“From booking orders to shipping them out, the 90-day window is no longer adequate. Most often we have to apply for an extension which means additional cost for import permits,” Pampi said. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/06/02/da-urged-to-restore-spsic-validity-to-90-days-amid-logistics-concerns/)
Mita explained that despite the Covid-19 situation improving in certain countries globally, various supply chain and logistics challenges continue to persist and are “not expected to be resolved anytime soon.”
The group revealed that various shipping lines have stopped reefer services to the Philippines, while others “have significantly cut back their services,” leaving importers scrambling for lines that still service the Philippine route. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/05/26/da-urged-to-recall-order-on-60-day-validity-of-spsic-on-meat-imports/)
Source: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/06/09/phl-restores-90-day-validity-of-sps-ic-for-meat-imports/
