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China and U.S. beef: Will 2016 be the year?

The president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation says he’s hopeful that 2016 is the year that China finally resumes purchases of U.S. beef.

Phil Seng says if that happens, “it would be a huge step forward”. But he says the Chinese still have some lingering concerns about traceability in the U.S. beef production system.

“I think the Chinese want to make sure we at least have a bookend system, where from the time that animal is born until it goes to the plant, you can trace where it’s been,” Seng says, “and I think we can connect all the dots now in our system.”

Seng says the Chinese will soon bring a team to the U.S. to review record-keeping systems at feedlots and packing plants.

“If we do have an animal health issue in the United States, it’s critical that we can trace it back to the source—to the farm—in order to redress whatever the issue is,” he says. “So that’s what the Chinese want to know and I think’s that’s something we can provide.”

The Chinese stopped buying beef from the U.S. following the BSE scare in 2003.

AUDIO: Phil Seng