The United Broiler Raisers Association (Ubra) has urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to exclude poultry from the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme, citing equal tariffs and the need to apply safeguard duties. The group believes removing poultry from MAV would strengthen trade remedies against imports, a report by BusinessWorld said.
Poultry producers press for MAV removal
Ubra Chairman Elias Jose Inciong explained that tariffs for in‑quota and out‑quota chicken imports have been equal since 2005. This, he said, makes the MAV mechanism redundant and prevents the application of special safeguard (SSG) duties.
Excluding poultry from MAV would allow safeguard duties of USD 0.10–0.16/kg to be imposed when imports fall below trigger prices. These duties are designed to protect local producers from sudden surges in cheaper imports.
Safeguard duties help fund competitiveness
SSG duties contribute to the Competitiveness Enhancement Measures Fund (CEMF), which supports industries facing import pressures. Half of revenues from safeguard duties, fees, and charges go into the fund. Industry sources noted that poultry and coffee imports provide much of this revenue.
Mr Inciong stressed that consistent application of safeguard duties would stabilize domestic poultry production. He argued that MAV currently allows some importers to bypass these safeguards, weakening local competitiveness.
Agriculture department revises MAV rules
The DA recently announced changes to MAV implementation, aiming for transparency and fair participation. Quotas will now be distributed through a raffle‑based system, with a midyear redistribution scheduled for early June.
Mr Inciong welcomed the revisions but insisted poultry should be excluded entirely. “That’s a positive development if the DA is really changing the rules,” he said, adding that the system has long been manipulated to benefit a few.
Industry seeks stronger protection measures
Ubra’s call reflects wider concerns about balancing import access with domestic safeguards. While MAV reforms aim to improve fairness, poultry producers argue that equal tariffs mean the mechanism no longer serves its purpose. Exclusion, they believe, would allow safeguard duties to apply uniformly and strengthen resilience against import shocks.