US pork exports to Mexico have dropped by 11 per cent since Mexico announced in August 2010 that it would hit US pork exports with a retaliatory import duty in response to failure of the United States to abide by its commitments made to Mexico in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

At issue is the US refusal to allow Mexican trucks free access into the United States, as called for under the NAFTA, as well as a 2001 NAFTA dispute settlement ruling. NPPC is hopeful that the "concept paper" released by DOT on a phase in of Mexican trucking into the United States will open the door to quick progress and resolution of this dispute.

"Mexico is our largest volume export market and the retaliation Mexico has put in place on pork has hurt US pork producers," said NPPC president Sam Carney. "We applaud any effort by the US Administration that will lead to progress in resolving this issue. Every month that the trucking issue goes unresolved, we continue to lose market share in Mexico - one of our most important export markets."

The United States shipped $762 million in pork products to Mexico in 2009. Since 1993, the year before the NAFTA was implemented, US pork exports to Mexico have increased by 580 per cent.