The National Cattle Producers Organization ( APROLECHE), and the National Porcine Commission complained to the congress that the government’s lenient attitude toward beef and pork imports is driving them into bankruptcy. Spokesmen for the two organizations offered testimony before a senate committee that is considering raising from 25% to 40% the duties on imported beef and pork. The measure has already been approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The Porcine Commission’s Pedro Porrello Reynoso, and the Cattle Producers’ Marcelino Vargas of the Cattle Producers, told the senators that rather than acquire pork and beef from local producers, the makers of salami, and other processed meats, prefer to import beef and pork "trimmings" – that is, deboned cuts of meat – which they declare as "raw material" in order to pay low customs duties. Vargas and Reynoso alleged that meat packages then go on to "cheat the treasury" by low-balling declared values. They cited pork trimmings, which have a value of US$.95 per pound, which are being declared art US$.09 per pound, and taxed accordingly. During 1998 and 1999, according to Vargas, "40 million pounds of beef and pork trimmings" were imported, whereby the treasury lost DR$50 million in under-declared duties. Whereas packaged meat producers have raised prices by 25%, national producers have been required to lower prices by 20% per kilo. As a result, the slaughter of cows and pigs has been reduced by 75%, they said. For their part, the Association of Meat Processors has petitioned Agriculture Minister Amilcar Romero to rescind his order to freeze importation of trimmings Yuly Vizcaino, spokesman for the group, appealed to minister – currently on leave and campaigning as the vice-presidential candidate of the PLD party – to consider the substantial losses that the meat processing industry will sustain if the ban remains in effect.
