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Vilsack suggests ‘measured reaction’ to China’s beef announcement

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke in Omaha on Friday.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke in Omaha on Friday.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the nation’s state ag directors last week that while China’s announcement that it is lifting its ban on imports of U.S. beef is positive news, there is still more work to be done.

“(It’s) positive news, but we need to make sure that we’re measured in our reaction,” Vilsack said. “It certainly is justified by the science and the work that we’ve done to improve our traceability system in this country. But what China has announced is just the first of three steps that have to be taken in order for that market to be reopened to even a limited amount of our beef.”

Those steps include establishing protocols for resuming beef exports and another round of Chinese audits of the U.S. beef production system. Vilsack, speaking at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture meeting in Omaha, said the USDA will keep the pressure on the Chinese to “aggressively” move forward with those next steps.

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