Chile's farm bureau is petitioning for a 15 percent surcharge duty on imported Argentine chicken, an additional import duty of 25 percent on corn with a high percentage of cracked kernels and a 30 percent duty for feed mixtures with significant cracked corn content, according to reports.
Chicken imports to Chile have increased by 20 percent since 2008. As corn is Chile's second most important crop and forms the basis for the Chilean poultry industry, imports of cracked corn from Argentina have grown 639 percent and feed mixtures have increased by 41 percent, said the bureau. Roughly 70 percent of the total cost in the poultry industry is due to corn prices, and Chilean corn growers could lose up to US$108 million if Argentina prices aren't modified.
