Philippines Meat Imports Rise, But Rising Costs and Weak Demand Cloud Outlook

MANILA, Philippines — Despite higher imports in the first half of 2026, various market challenges such as weaker consumer demand, port congestion and a weaker peso could affect imports in the coming months, according to an industry group. “If you look at the month-on-month, year-on-year, it looks that way,” Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA) president emeritus Jesus Cham said in an interview when asked if imports are on track to reach a record high this year. READ: DA seeks higher tariffs on meat, coffee, other farm products Meat imports reached 872.27 million kilograms (kg) from January to June, up 12.1 percent from 778.1 million kg a year ago, according to Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data. The first-semester figure is equivalent to more than 53 percent of the 1.64 billion kg of meat imported in 2025. “But several things happened early this year. We have the Iran War. Then, we have the further depreciation after the corruption scandal. Then, we have the wage increase. Then, of course, the increased cost of transport, logistics, utilities,” Cham said. Cham said depressed wholesale prices are hurting importers, while retailers continue to maintain relatively stable prices. “Many importers are losing money, although on the retail side, the retail sector is holding up. They are still able to keep their prices up,” he told reporters, adding that the food service sector using imported meat managed to maintain their portion sizes. Cham said meat traders continue to face port congestion since last year’s peak season, prompting many players to reduce or delay orders. “Myself, my company, we are reluctant to place a lot of orders,” he said. “There are a lot of delayed clearance releases. Now, if there’s a lot of delay, the cost is high.” Cham said port congestion forces importers to pay trucking companies an additional P1,500 to P2,000 daily when trucks face delays. He estimated that congestion adds at least P50,000 per container, or around P2 to P5 per kilogram, depending on the product. “But because there’s no demand, there is, well, there is the supply and demand situation now in Luzon is that a lot of importers are struggling to clear their containers because the peso has fallen,” he added. Cham explained that a weaker peso raises import costs because importers calculate duties based on the peso value of imported goods. /pai INQ