Panama FTA further enhances opportunities for U.S. meat in Central America

Gerardo Rodriguez, USMEF director of trade development for Central America and the Dominican Republic, recently spoke to USMEF members about the potential benefits of the U.S.-Panama Trade Agreement, which entered into force Oct. 31.

On the pork side, duties of 60 percent to 70 percent on most cuts will be eliminated through a duty-free tariff-rate quota (TRQ), which begins at 1,600 metric tons. Lower duties on bacon, cured hams and pre-packaged items will also be eliminated through duty-free TRQs. The volume of these TRQs increases annually for 15 years, when U.S. pork will effectively gain duty-free access to Panama.