TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan (張麗善) on Wednesday urged the central government to safeguard local pig farmers amid reports that tariffs on US pork could be cut in half or eliminated.

Chang said current import tariffs on pork and beef stand at roughly 15% to 20%, per UDN. Reducing or eliminating those tariffs, she warned, could adversely affect Yunlin’s pig farming industry.

Chang called on the government to introduce concrete measures to stabilize pork prices and protect domestic producers. She also said lowering tariffs on US liquid milk could hurt Yunlin’s dairy farmers.

Industry insiders, however, said tariff cuts may not significantly disrupt Taiwan’s pork market, noting that consumers strongly prefer freshly slaughtered domestic pork, per ETtoday. They said the flavor of local pork and butchers’ ability to tailor cuts to Taiwanese preferences give domestic producers a competitive edge.

Insiders added that clear country-of-origin labeling and consumer choice are key to maintaining the dominance of Taiwanese pork, per Liberty Times. They said longstanding relationships between local butchers and customers, as well as perceptions of freshness, reinforce that advantage.

Despite concerns about trade policy, Taiwan’s pork sector is already facing supply pressures. Average piglet prices, which hovered between NT$60 (US$1.9) and NT$70 per kilogram in recent years, have climbed steadily since 2021, reaching about NT$108 in 2025 — the highest level in three decades, per Agrijourney News.

ROC Meat Traders Association Director-General Yuan Jen-chi (袁仁琦) said disease outbreaks at pig farms contributed to supply shortages in 2025. ROC Swine Association official Pan Lien-chou (潘連周) added that extreme weather has made pig breeding more difficult.

Pan said Taiwan ideally should produce about 25,000 piglets per day, but low rearing success rates have reduced output to as few as 18,000 per day, below domestic demand. He said natural disasters, pigsty renovations, and suboptimal breeding rates have also limited Taiwan Sugar Corp.’s ability to stabilize the market.

On a potential US-Taiwan trade deal, Yuan outlined two scenarios. Eliminating pork tariffs could cause short-term shocks for pig farmers and reduce the supply of fresh domestic pork, he said.

Removing country-of-origin labeling, however, would have a longer-lasting and more severe impact on the industry.

Retired Chinese Culture University professor Lo Ling-ling (羅玲玲) said the central government should launch a nationwide initiative to improve pig farm sanitation. She suggested requiring vehicles entering pig farms to be disinfected and establishing cleaning stations at gas stations near pig farming areas.

Lo also recommended improving breeding stock and requiring larger pig farms to employ specialists with at least a college-level education.