A shipment of pork meat products from China worth P600,000 was seized at the Port of Subic recently for possible African Swine Fever contamination, the Bureau of Customs said.
The shipment which was later determined as pork balls were seized last May 29.
The shipment was consigned to Rudarr Trading Corp. and was shipped from China, which is among the countries believed to be infected with ASF.
According to the BoC, the shipment was under surveillance and monitoring by the Office of the District Collector and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service upon its arrival at the Port of Subic.
The bureau said the seizure of the shipment was in compliance with the Food and Drug Administration order and Department of Agriculture temporarily banning pork meat products from countries infected by the ASF such as China.
The shipment was later alerted and was subjected for 100 percent physical examination.
The port immediately issued Alert Order No. A/DC/SUB/20190529-01.
The pork meat products have been examined by quarantine experts from the Bureau of Animal Industry. It was discovered during the examination that the shipment actually contained fish tofu and boxes of pork and pork-derived products.
A warrant of seizure and detention was issued against the shipment for violation of Section 1113 (f) of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, in relation to the Department of Agriculture and Office of the Secretary Memorandum Nos. 23 and 26 prohibiting the entry of pork and other similar products from China and other countries affected by ASF. (Betheena Kae Unite)