Audio: Fresh U.S. Pork Finally Eligible for New Zealand

January 6, 2014

After a long legal challenge, fresh U.S. pork will soon be eligible to be sold in New Zealand. The New Zealand Supreme Court recently declined to overturn regulations – originally issued in 2011 – that will allow U.S. chilled and frozen pork to enter New Zealand in retail-ready packages of 3 kilograms or less. Relief will also be extended to imports from Canada, the European Union and the state of Sonora in Mexico.

New Zealand’s imports of U.S. pork (and pork from other destinations listed above) have been limited to pre-cooked products or pork shipped directly to designated cooking facilities in New Zealand. These restrictions were put in place in 2001 as a measure designed to prevent the introduction of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) – a viral disease affecting pigs – into New Zealand. But as Joel Haggard, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) senior vice president for the Asia Pacific explains, the new import regulations are the result of a thorough, science-based risk assessment conducted by regulators in New Zealand.

While still a fairly small market, U.S. pork exports to New Zealand grew from just $4.4 million in 2003 to nearly $24 million in 2012. U.S. exports slowed slightly in 2013, but should finish the year at about $22.5 million. New Zealand’s pork imports from all sources grew from $42 million in 2003 to about $118 million last year. Haggard says that with USMEF’s strong network of importer contacts, the ability to offer fresh/frozen items in retail outlets should create new opportunities for U.S. pork in this increasingly competitive market. Other pork suppliers serving New Zealand include Canada, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Australia (among these, only Australia is not subject to PRRS-related restrictions).

TRANSCRIPT:

Joe Schuele: In this US Meat Export Federation Report, USMEF, Senior Vice President, Joel Haggard discusses U.S. Pork Exports to New Zealand. In limited quantities fresh U.S. pork is finally eligible for that market after a long legal battle. Until now U.S. exports have been limited to processed products or frozen pork destined for designated cooking facilities.

Joel Haggard: Pig meat from the United States can now enter New Zealand without a cooking step, which for us is a victory because in that market, as well as Australia, any pork meat had to be cooked before being sold. Fresh or frozen pig meat can be sold as long as it is packed in 3 kg or less, retail ready packages. Three kilograms should give us latitude to experiment with some additional marketing approaches.

USMEF maintains network contacts in New Zealand among importers. New Zealand is a small market but it is tending to increase its imports in recent years, and that was before this new regulation had gone into effect so this will offer us some new opportunities to market U.S. pork.

Joe Schuele: New Zealand’s restrictions on imported pork are designed to prevent the introduction of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome or PRRS, and Haggard says the change represents a change for science based trade regulations.

Joel Haggard: Certainly, this ruling, which is really the outcome of a rigorous risk assessment process by the regulatory agency biosecurity of New Zealand, represents a validation of science. They determined that this risk of PRS transmission was so low that they could offer this new mode of access without compromising their very strict biosecurity regulations. So in any event, a small victory but we expect to see some additional trade from this.

Joe Schuele: For more on this and other trade issues please visit USMEF.org. For the U.S. Meat Export Federation, I’m Joe Schuele.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.

USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.