Meat producers, particularly from the pork sector, have expressed concern over the start of the process of complying with free trade agreements (FTA) with the United States, which provide for the entry of meat products into the country with zero tariffs. Pork producer and sector leader Dr. Juan Manuel Guevara warned that the full implementation of these agreements could significantly impact national production due to direct competition with imported products entering the Panamanian market without tariff charges, reducing the competitiveness of local producers. According to Guevara, the main concern is that compliance with these treaties could destabilize the national economy, affecting not only Panamanian producers but also more than 40,000 people who depend directly and indirectly on the activities of the pork sector, including jobs in farms, transportation, processing, and marketing. The leader noted that national producers face high production costs, sanitary requirements, and financing limitations, factors that put them at a disadvantage compared to imported products from highly subsidized markets. Faced with this scenario, pig farmers have called on the authorities of the National Government to evaluate support measures and safeguards that allow for the protection of local production, the sustainability of the sector, and the preservation of jobs linked to the livestock industry. Producers reiterated their willingness to dialogue but insisted on the need for public policies that ensure fair competition conditions and prevent the weakening of one of the country's most important productive sectors.
