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China ends 13-year embargo, will allow import of U.S. beef
 
By SUSAN BLOWER
Indiana Correspondent
 
WASHINGTON D.C. — After a 13-year U.S. beef import embargo, China has agreed to reopen its borders as a result of recent negotiations with the Trump administration.
 
China agreed to allow the import of U.S beef by July 16, but the two countries still have details to iron out. Beef was the first of 10 points agreed upon between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month. The U.S. also agreed to accept cooked poultry products from China – a point of contention with some in the United States.
 
“We are excited that U.S beef was the No. 1 point of 10 points,” said Craig Uden, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assoc. “Gaining access to the Chinese market has been a priority for the NCBA.
 
We have worked closely with the administration. We have been locked out of the world’s largest market, so it’s great to see it come to fruition.”
 
During a conference call Friday, Uden said the new deal, which still has to go through another round of technical consultation, will bring 1.4 billion new customers to U.S beef.
 
“China has a growing middle class that is larger than the entire U.S population. The demand there is growing. This will bring more value back to cattle products. We appreciate the Trump administration for prioritizing U.S beef,” he said.

 USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said the new deal will benefit all Americans, especially beef producers.
 
“This is tremendous news for the American beef industry, the agriculture community and the U.S economy is 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,” Perdue added.
 
“When the Chinese people taste our high-quality U.S beef, there’s not doubt in my mind that they’ll want more of it.”
 
The NCBA also credited the Obama administration for its hard work in solidifying a deal, which began last September when the Chinese minister of agriculture announced a lift of the ban on U.S beef. The Chinese ban was put into place in 2003, following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in U.S. cows, commonly called “Mad Cow disease.”
 
The removal of the ban was reinforced at the meeting with Trump in April, and the announcement of the agreement was made last Thursday.

 Unmet demand
 
Kent Bacus, NCBA director of international trade, said China imported $2.5 billion of beef last year. “We still think there’s a lot of unmet demand with exponential growth. We expect the Chinese will want what is selling well in other Asian markets, but not so well here: rounds, chuck roast, ribs, tongues,” he said.
 
Demand for U.S beef is strong in Asian countries including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, all of which are recording increased demand, NCBA leaders said. 
 
China is the second-largest consumer of beef in the world. With more beef protein coming on the market, Uden said U.S. producers will be prepared to deliver. The increased demand will improve prices for all beef.
 
Important details still need to be decided and released, such as whether China will insist on hormone-free beef, demand a traceability system or restrict trade to quotas.
 
“We’ve tried to stress in hosting Chinese (delegations) that we can address their concerns. We have a BSE-negligent risk, which is the lowest status. We have a safe product here,” Uden said. “We’d like to keep the traceable component as voluntary for those who choose to produce for China.”
 
Bacus said no matter what the terms of the agreement entail, American beef producers will find a way to meet the  demand. Beef is not the only item in the new agreement. Under the “100-day action plan,” the U.S. has agreed to import Chinese cooked poultry, and China has agreed to receive exports of liquid natural gas and open new opportunities for credit and lending in China.
 
“We are very thankful that we are the top item on that list. For the future success of us all, we need cooperation between both governments,” NCBA leaders said. Many others hailed the agreement as being a tremendous step forward. The United States Cattlemen’s Assoc. (USCA) 
applauded U.S. leaders for making access to China a priority.
 
Kentucky, the largest producer of beef cattle east of the Mississippi River, also stands to gain from the end of the embargo; Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney said that the agreement should help Hoosier beef producers, as well. “The news is promising. We are a step closer. A rising tide lifts all boats. It’s a huge market that loves U.S beef,” he said.
 
Chinese food safety
 
While everyone seemingly agrees on the benefits of beef exports to China, some U.S. leaders are upset with the decision to allow China to export its cooked poultry. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) criticized Trump’s deal, saying China does not strongly enforce its own food safety laws and regulations.
 
“Despite his promise to stand up to China, President Trump is now allowing the Chinese to write the rules with this new agreement,” she said.
 
U.S. Food and Water Watch also denounced the import of processed poultry because it said the move will put American consumers at risk for illness. “China has been pressing the U.S to allow poultry imports for years, and openly made the reopening of the Chinese market to U.S. beef a quid pro quo,” the advocacy group stated.
 
It said the World Health Organization has estimated that numerous avian influenza outbreaks have caused 1,347 human illnesses, including some deaths.
 
Because it is cooked poultry, the group said that the chicken will not be required to have country-of-origin labels. U.S officials stated American health and safety will not be compromised by this trade deal. 
5/17/2017