Cambodia has announced a six-month extension of the ban on frozen meat imports, in effect from today, September 12, to March 12, 2025. 

The renewal was announced in a joint proclamation today by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as part of efforts to protect the country’s livestock industry.

The initial ban, introduced on January 12, aimed to curb the negative effects of offal and frozen meat imports not used as food in the exporting countries. 

The ministries had observed that these imports, particularly frozen pork livers and other innards, were harming Cambodia’s domestic pig production.

“After reviewing the impact of frozen meat imports on local pig farming, we concluded that further action was necessary to protect our livestock sector,” the commerce ministry said in the statement. 

“The import of frozen pork livers and other offal continues to threaten pig production and could lead to substantial economic damage if left unchecked,” it added.

Under the extended ban, the aforementioned items, identified under Harmonised System (HS) Codes 0206.41.00 and 0206.49.00, will be restricted. 

However, the regulation does not apply to qualified investment projects (QIPs), which are allowed to import the prohibited goods as production inputs for export purposes.

The ministries have urged the public, as well as import-export businesses dealing with the banned items, to comply with the updated regulations. 

The authorities emphasised that the move is a necessary measure to safeguard the future of the country’s livestock industry.

The temporary ban is expected to provide further breathing room for the sector, which has shown signs of recovery since the initial restrictions were implemented earlier this year.

The government will continue monitoring the situation and will decide on future measures based on the condition of the local livestock market and the broader economic landscape, according to the statement.