South Korean poultry group warns CPTPP membership could force farm closures
The Korea Broiler Association says CPTPP tariff liberalization could increase the market share of lower-priced imported chicken and push domestic farms out of business. The warning follows the government’s decision to begin public consultations on possible membership.
Government opens consultations on CPTPP membership
South Korea’s poultry industry has challenged the government’s move toward possible membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, arguing that extensive tariff liberalization could threaten domestic broiler farms and chicken processors.
According to Nongmin, the government announced at the 273rd External Economic Ministers’ Meeting on August 27 that it would begin public discussion and collect views on joining the CPTPP. The trade agreement, which entered into force in December 2018, has 12 participating Asia-Pacific countries. Agricultural tariff elimination among its members averages 96.3%, making the potential effect on protected farm sectors a central issue in South Korea’s debate.
Industry seeks an impact assessment before a decision
The Korea Broiler Association, chaired by Moon Jung-jin, criticized the initiative on September 1. It said that membership in an agreement requiring a high level of market opening could determine the survival of the country’s broiler farms and wider chicken industry. The association called on the government to avoid treating consultation as a formality conducted on the assumption that South Korea will join.
Instead, it requested an objective assessment of chicken import volumes, the domestic self-sufficiency rate, farm income and the possible consequences for restaurants and franchise businesses. The organization also demanded that the findings be disclosed before the government advances the membership process. Its position places supply-chain and downstream business effects alongside the more immediate question of tariff protection.
Import competition adds to production-cost pressure
The association said domestic chicken producers are already under pressure from rising imports and higher costs for chicks, feed, labor, electricity and packaging. It argued that further market opening would allow lower-priced foreign chicken to capture a larger share of the market, increasing the likelihood that broiler farmers abandon production or close their businesses. Nongmin reported these warnings as industry claims; the source material did not provide current import volumes, farm profitability figures or estimates of potential closures.
The group also linked its opposition to food-supply resilience. It argued that livestock production capacity cannot be restored quickly once lost and that rebuilding the broiler sector would require substantial time and expense. In its view, increasing dependence on imported chicken in response to high domestic prices could expose consumers to higher costs if international poultry supply chains are disrupted. The association said it opposes CPTPP membership to protect broiler farms, domestic production capacity, franchise headquarters using Korean chicken, small businesses and franchise operators, while maintaining a stable supply of hygienic and safe food. The government’s consultation therefore opens a wider policy dispute over whether consumer gains from cheaper imports would outweigh risks to domestic capacity and businesses linked to locally produced chicken.
