Agricultural News
High Quality Beef Cuts Finally Get Access Into Columbia With Implementation of Free Trade Agreement
Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:11:24 CDT
The leading US Cattle Industry organization, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, welcomes word from the Obama Administration that the free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and Colombia will begin implementation on May 15, 2012. NCBA Associate Director of Legislative Affairs Kent Bacus says this is good news for cattlemen and women in the United States.
"This is a great opportunity for U.S. beef. This is something NCBA has been working on for several years," says Bacus. "We will finally have a presence in Colombia. The 80 percent tariff has essentially kept us out of that market."
Bacus says the FTA will immediately repeal the 80 percent tariff Colombia currently has set on high quality U.S. beef. The agreement will phase out the tariff on all other cuts over the next 15 years.
Bacus says the trade pact will also establish science based standards for Colombia based on standards set by the World Organization for Animal Health.
The Columbia Free Trade Agreement is one of three trade deals that are substantially what was negotiated by the Bush Administration, and over the last six months brought to fruition by the Obama White House. The South Korean FTA was implemented earlier in 2012, with final implementation of the agreement with Panama still to come.
Comments with Bacus are featured in today's Beef Buzz. Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear Bacus and Farm Director Ron Hays discuss this FTA.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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