Dive Brief:
- U.S. pork exports to the Dominican Republic could reach a record high as African Swine Fever outbreaks continue across the country.
- Researchers are expecting “increased export opportunities” for U.S. pork and pork products to the Caribbean nation, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with local production declining as a result of increased disease outbreaks.
- While U.S. pork exports to the Dominican Republic are set to hit another record in 2024 after reaching 96,010 metric tons last year, increased competition from Brazil could influence how much the country imports moving forward.
Dive Insight:
The Dominican Republic helped push total U.S. pork exports to a record high value of $8.2 billion last year, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation. While Mexico, China, Japan and Canada are the leading markets, comprising more than 70% of U.S. pork export sales, 2023 exports to the Dominican Republic increased 18% to $276.2 million over the previous year.
With local pork production in the Dominican Republic declining, imports have reached record levels since 2021. Pork imports totaled 101,324 metric tons last year compared to 40,084 in 2020. The U.S. is the Dominican Republic’s largest supplier of pork, averaging about 94% of the country’s pork imports.
African Swine Fever, which is highly contagious and deadly to pigs, remains a significant challenge in the Dominican Republic since it was first detected in July 2021.
Although the Caribbean nation deployed an emergency response plan, a lack of resources has hindered a surveillance program and the ability to restrict animal movement. As a result, the disease has become an endemic that's led to the deaths and depopulation of 210,000 pigs — about 30% of the national swine herd.
“As the disease has become endemic in the country, and with the disease also present in neighboring Haiti, where there are no current efforts to combat it, the possibility of eradicating the disease seems farfetched,” the USDA report says.
While the disease has provided new opportunities for U.S. pork, exporters could be competing more against other countries such as Brazil going into 2025. Brazil, which had no access to the Dominican Republic’s market prior to 2023, supplied 6,642 metric tons of pork during the first half of this year.
