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Deal with China could boost beef exports

The Trump administration has announced an agreement with China that is intended to improve access of US beef to the country.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says the agreement will reopen the Chinese market to US beef by mid-July.  China is a $2.5 billion market that the US beef producers haven’t had full access to since BSE concerns following a US case in 2003.

Joe Schuele with the US Meat Export Federation says China’s growing middle class represents one of the most promising beef markets in the world.  “We have competitors that are capitalizing on that,” he says.  “Australia, Uruguay, Argentina, and New Zealand being the major suppliers to China.  We do think there would be strong demand for US beef and it’s a market we very much want to be in.”

He tells Brownfield he is cautiously optimistic about the announcement, because there are still technical meetings that need to take place and eligibility requirements still need to be set.

China also agreed to accelerate its biotech approval process and by the end of May promises to evaluate eight pending biotechnology products, which are still awaiting regulatory approval from the country’s crop regulators.

AUDIO: Joe Schuele, US Meat Export Federation