Without explicitly saying so, Duane Stateler, president-elect of the National Pork Producers Council, came out against the 25 per cent tariffs United States President threatens to place on Canada and Mexico.
Strateler highlighted Mexico and Canada as key trading partners, noting that North American collaboration allows producers to meet protein needs worldwide.
Last year, the U.S. exported 1.2 million tons of pork to Mexico and 212,000 tons to Canada.
January-November exports to Mexico were five per cent above the record pace of 2023 (when exports increased by 14 per cent over 2022) at 1.05 million tons.
Export value climbed 10 per cent to $2.33 billion — at the cusp of the full-year value record ($2.35 billion) posted in 2023.
“As there are struggles in other parts of the world, we see the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as strong partners in helping to supply protein where it’s needed,” Stateler said.
Another point he left unsaid is that U.S. hog farmers need piglets from Canada, especially from the Canadian Prairies and Ontario to the mid-west.
