The National Pork Producers Council weighed in with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office on trade problems with Thailand. Following that USTR Robert LIghthizer announced the suspension of $817 million of trade preferences for Thailand under the Generalized System of Preferences. South Dakota Pork Producers Council President Craig Andersen appreciates the USTR’s help and addressing Thailand’s defacto ban of U.S. pork with this suspension.
He says Thailand and other potential Southeast Asian customers have a huge appetite for U.S. pork and it’s critical to be able to fill that need. Andersen says the U.S. can fill that need because African Swine Fever has decimated their own herds.
Andersen says the U.S. has also been supplying pork to China but now that country is working to rebuild its herd from AFS and has been flying hogs in.
More than 15,000 hogs have been flown into China coming from Denmark, France and the United Kingdom.
