The government said it granted 251 private companies licenses to import pork, poultry and corn under the minimum access volume (MAV) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) this year.
Government data obtained by the BusinessMirror showed that the companies allowed to import the three agricultural commodities were fewer than the 276 firms granted licenses in 2016.
The MAV allocations for pork meat, poultry meat and corn were the same as last year’s level: pork at 54,210 metric tons (MT); poultry, 23,490 MT; and corn, 216,940 MT.
Of the 251 private firms, 114 were granted licenses to import 54,210 MT of frozen pork. These include Century Pacific Food Inc., Foodsphere Inc., Mekeni Food Corp., Pampanga’s Best Inc., Mayon Consolidated Inc. and Jollibee Foods Corp.
The number of firms allowed to import under the 2017 MAV for frozen pork was lower than the
121 recorded last year.
Pork imported within the MAV are slapped a 30-percent tariff, while those outside of MAV are leved a 40-percent tariff.
As for frozen-poultry meat, 124 firms were allowed to import it under MAV. Last year the number of companies given licenses was higher at 141.
Some of the firms allowed to import under the 2017 MAV for frozen-poultry meat are Delichicken Corp., Virginia Foods Inc., The Purefoods-Hormel Co., Inc., Puregold Price Club Inc. and Rustans Supercenters Inc.
The government imposes a 40-percent tariff on poultry-meat imports.
Data also showed that 13 firms were allowed to import 216,940 MT of corn under MAV this year. These include San Miguel Foods Inc., Universal Robina Corp., Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corp. and Pilmico Foods Corp.
Corn imports within the MAV are slapped a 30-percent tariff, while traders have to pay a 50-percent tariff for imports brought in outside of the MAV.