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Final guidelines set for U.S. beef exports to China

China and the U.S. have reached a final agreement allowing U.S. beef exports to China.

The USDA”s Agricultural Marketing Service put the new guidelines on their website Monday, and include traceability to the U.S. birth farm or to the first port of entry for imported cattle.  U.S. establishments and packers can use those guidelines to apply for export approval.

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue commended the USDA and trade teams that worked to meet China’s expectations, and “working through the necessary phytosanitary -sanitary protocols to make sure that we meet their requirements, which we think we will certainly be able to do.”

China imported more than 2-and-a-half billion dollars’ worth of beef last year but has not accepted U.S. beef in more than 13 years.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Craig Uden praised the final agreement saying, “These terms are a reflection of China’s trust in the safety and quality of U.S. beef.”

Perdue says he has no doubt that the Chinese people will taste American beef and want more of it.

House Ag Committee Chairman Michael Conaway praised the deal, saying China has long been an area of great opportunity for the U.S. beef industry and applauded the Trump administration’s efforts to, “move this deal across the finish line.”  Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer also applauded the deal, allowing U.S. producers a shot at China’s 2.6-billion dollar beef market.