Although there may be good reasons to restrict or ban the imports (we’ve been over this issue before), there doesn’t seem a warrant for a government ministry to do so arbitrarily in defiance of various trade treaties. A decision like this would seem at least to require some kind of legislative involvement.

Quite apart from the merits or demerits of the decision, it therefore looks like there is another government ministry out of control. Only if there were an immediate public health threat would I think an arbitrary decision like this be justified.

I lmay not agree with Guevara on the best policy for trade in pork and any number of other things–I would have to be persuaded one way or another by the debates–but I certainly agree that the legislature should not be blindsided and there should at least be debates.