The National Pork Producers
Council says allowing Mexico to export pork to the U.S. is a sign of good trade
relations. The Department of Agriculture last week finalized a regulation
allowing Mexican states to export pork to the United States. USDA’s Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service is implementing a science-based risk assessment
that determined Mexico is free of Classical Swine Fever, a highly contagious
viral disease in pigs. It was eradicated from the United States in the late
1970s. APHIS in 2016 concluded that the risk of the disease from pork imports
from Mexico is negligible. Noting that Mexico is the second largest export
market for U.S. pork, NPPC President Ken Maschhoff says: “Maintaining our good
relationship with that country by ensuring fair and reciprocal trade is
paramount for our producers.” Mexico first requested access to the U.S. market
in 2007, but USDA determined Mexico’s control program for Classical Swine Fever
was not sufficient to classify the country as negligible risk for the disease.
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