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Government strikes meaty blow for farmers
The Ministry of Finance has decided to raise tariffs on meat imports following fears that domestic farmers were being priced out of the market.
Poultry meat will see the steepest rise, going up to 40 percent from 15 percent. The tax on chicken wing, leg and liver has been hiked from 12 percent to 20 percent.
The tariff on pork will increase by 2 percent to 27 percent as will beef, which will now attract a 17 percent tax. The tariff hikes will take effect next week.
Agricultural officials had expressed concern last week that foreign meat products were crowding out local products.
Meat import tariffs were slashed last August as part of measures to combat inflation but the move endangered the livelihoods of domestic livestock and poultry farmers and processors.
Vietnam’s World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments only require cutting the import tax on poultry to 15 percent and on pork to 25 percent by 2012.
The new decision also sees tariffs on animal feed imports cut.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said his ministry would seek the removal of all tariffs levied on imports of animal feed.
Thanhnien
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