Mexico Removes Pseudorabies-Related Restrictions on U.S. Pork Offal

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Mexico has removed all pseudorabies (PRV) related restrictions on U.S. pork offal products. As U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Vice President of Economic Analysis Erin Borror explains, the move opens up trade, not only for new production, but also for pipeline product that had backed up while the restrictions were in place.

Mexico placed restrictions on a wide range of pork offal and variety meats, from skins, jowls and snouts to stomach and hearts, at the end of April when PRV was found in five boars in Iowa. Those restrictions were modified in early June to allow shipments from states other than Iowa and Texas, but source verification requirements and the importance of Iowa as the leading hog-producing state continued to pose significant obstacles for exporters. While in place, the restrictions were costing the U.S. industry an estimated $6 million to $7 million each week in lost exports.

A number of other countries have also removed PRV-related restrictions and documentation requirements in the past week including Colombia, Chile and South Korea. Although China - the largest destination for U.S. pork variety meat - has not formally imposed PRV-related import restrictions, it is requiring 100% testing of offal shipments from the United States. This is a significant obstacle due to product taking three to five weeks to clear, which results in significant demurrage costs.

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