Chile: Market Access for U.S. Chilled Pork Meat to Chile
On February 24, 2015 the Government of Chile (GOC) Ministry of Health (MOH) approved U.S. fresh pork access to Chile. This comes after numerous USG high level bilateral interventions and collaborative efforts with the National Pork Producers Council, which led to the MOH accepting USDA’s certification statement to address Trichinella risk: “The meat was derived from carcasses that tested negative for trichinosis or was subject to a freezing process or other process according to 9 CFR 318.10 that guarantees the destruction of the parasite (Trichinella spiralis) or derives from swine and swine enterprises that comply with pork quality assurance programs (PQAPlus) that address product wholesomeness and biosecurity, are subject to surveillance conducted in the United States, and have a minimal risk for infection from Trichinella spp..” Chile produces nearly 350,000 MT (approximately $805 million) of fresh pork each year, all of which is produced domestically. The change in the GOC’s policy on U.S. fresh pork imports opens a gateway to a huge market for U.S. pork producers/exporters to tap into.
