ECONOMY er-national

Turkey reduces tax on livestock import

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency | 8/13/2010 12:00:00 AM |

The Turkish government has relaxed tax on livestock imports, from 135 percent to 40 percent, until December 31, 2010, aiming to encourage imports to balance sky-rocketing meat prices.

The Turkish government has relaxed tax on livestock imports, from 135 percent to 40 percent, until December 31, 2010, aiming to encourage imports to balance sky-rocketing meat prices. 

On April 30, the Council of Ministers authorized Turkey’s state-owned Meat & Fish Corporation, or EBK, to import 16,000 tons of live cattle, and 7,500 tons of fresh or frozen cattle meat. However, EBK decided to import livestock instead of meat.

Turkey will import livestock from parts of the United States, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Hungary.

Imported livestock will have to be between 12 and 24 months old, and weigh between 400 and 750 kilograms.

EBK held a tender to import 8,000 tons of livestock on May 20, another tender to import 4,000 tons of livestock on June 14, and another to import 4,000 tons of livestock on July 1.

In its latest tender held on July 15 to import 50,000 tons of livestock, EBK found the offers for 3,500 tons inadequate.