By Julie Tomascik
Editor
After more than a decade, U.S. beef is set to head once again to China.
The announcement came Friday, May 12.
“This is tremendous news for the American beef industry, the agriculture community, and the U.S. economy in general. We will once again have access to the enormous Chinese market, with a strong and growing middle class, which had been closed to our ranchers for a long, long time,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said. “I commend the persistence of President Trump, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, the U.S. Trade Representative’s officials, and our own USDA professionals. I also thank our Chinese counterparts, who worked so hard to get this agreement into place. When the Chinese people taste our high-quality U.S. beef, there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll want more of it.”
The plan calls for easing restrictions that have been in place for more than 13 years, following identification of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the U.S.
“As the number one cattle producing state in the nation, Texas stands to benefit greatly from this trade agreement,” Tracy Tomascik, associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Affairs for Texas Farm Bureau, said. “The high quality, flavorful beef that Texas and American ranchers produce can quickly become a staple with the growing Chinese middle class.”
The two countries are still working out the trade details, but Texas ranchers have the potential to see an increase in demand as the trade restrictions are lifted.
“Until the details are finalized, we won’t know who and how many will benefit,” Tomascik said. “But we’re excited about moving forward. The possibilities are limitless, and we know there’s a demand for our product there.”
Japan, Mexico and South Korea were the largest importers of U.S. beef in 2016.