The United States and the European Union have settled their “beef” over U.S. beef. The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the signing of an agreement with the European Union to establish a duty-free quota for high-quality U.S. beef from non-hormone treated cattle on Friday.
Once implemented, the annual quota will increase from 18,500 metric tons in year one to 35,000 metric tons in year seven. The country-specific quota will benefit U.S. beef producers who participate in USDA’s non-hormone treated cattle program that was established in 1999. USTR estimates that this quota will increase annual U.S. beef sales in Europe from $150 million to $420 million in year seven.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, “Getting more U.S. beef into the E.U. market is yet another example of President Trump expanding markets around the globe for our agriculture producers. E.U. consumers desire high quality products, and I have no doubt that when given the opportunity to purchase U.S. products we will see more Europeans choose to buy American. America’s farmers and ranchers are the most productive on earth and I thank President Trump and Ambassador Lighthizer for their continued work to promote the bounty of the American harvest across the world.”
Jennifer Houston, President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association joined President Trump and other NCBA officers at a White House signing ceremony for an agreement that will establish a duty-free quota for high-quality American beef in the European Union.
Houston said, “Today is a good day for America’s cattlemen and cattlewomen. President Trump and his trade team deserve a lot of credit for standing up for America’s cattle industry and securing this important market access to Europe. For many years it has been difficult for us to sell our high-quality U.S. beef to European consumers because of the restrictive tariff and non-tariff barriers, but the establishment of this 35,000 metric ton duty-free quota sends the signal to America’s cattle industry that Europe is ready for U.S. beef. All across America, our beef producers go to great lengths to raise safe and delicious beef products that are enjoyed by consumers around the world.”
