Agricultural News
NCBA's Kent Bacus Considers the Options to Addressing Rising Foreign Demand for Quality Beef
Tue, 09 May 2017 10:05:58 CDT
The strong U.S. dollar left our beef export trade at a disadvantage in recent years, despite growing opportunities in Southeast Asia. Without the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the beef trade is looking for other avenues to secure those markets.
"That's why it's important, now more than ever," said Kent Bacus, director of international trade and access for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, "to really work to tear down those tariff and non-tariff barriers, and the best way to do that is through free trade agreements."
With beef supplies rising, exports must play a larger role in demand - especially for the cuts not much in demand here, like tongue and tripe.
"Our government could choose to withdraw from NAFTA, and that would mean that all of the tariffs that we placed on foreign goods would go back into place," Bacus said. "It would also mean that all those goods, all the exports that we send to Mexico would receive that 25% tariff rate that they did pre-NAFTA"
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is working with the government and industry to open more markets.
"We're capitalizing on that high-end grain-finished beef that Asian consumers are really buying in record numbers," he concluded. "We look forward to capitalizing on that and trying to add more value to the bottom line of our producers."
To watch a video clip featuring Kent Bacus, director of international trade and access for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, discuss what current policies mean for beef exports and for producers with a rising, foreign demand for quality beef, click or tap the PLAYBOX below.
Source - Certified Angus Beef
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...
