(NAFB) – The Philippines’ government moved one step closer to expanding the quota for pork imports last week.

Specifically, the government is proposing to raise the minimum access volume to 400,000 metric tons to address shortages and higher prices for the preferred protein. The current minimum access volume is 54,000 metric tons, and the country’s initial proposal increased the figure to 164,000 metric tons.

The proposal will need to be approved by a management committee before submitted to the Philippines President for approval, and then ratified by Congress. This latest proposal comes on the heels of a recent meeting between the National Pork Producers Council and the Philippines Ambassador to the U.S. NPPC has been working with the Philippines’ government for more than a year to negotiate an expansion of the quota and lower pork import tariffs.

In a statement, the organization says, “NPPC welcomes the government’s proposal, as the Philippines holds tremendous market opportunities for U.S. pork exports.”