Neighbors
Nelson Urges Administration To Ratchet Up Efforts To Open Markets To U.S. Beef
Nebraska’s Sen. Ben Nelson today called on the Administration to ratchet up its efforts to re-open important foreign markets for U.S. beef in light of a new report from the International Trade Commission (ITC). The report shows that U.S. beef producers lost nearly $11 billion between 2004 and 2007 due to barriers on U.S. beef exports not warranted under the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) guidelines.
“For years, I have called for greater efforts on the part of USDA and USTR to re-open markets for U.S. beef worldwide,” said Sen. Nelson.
“Trade restrictions based on perceived health risks and not on sound science are unfair trade barriers and have cost Nebraska beef producers billions of dollars. While some progress has been made in Korea, more must be done to restore full and fair trade of U.S. beef with that important market. U.S. beef is the best and safest beef in the world and our trading partners shouldn’t hide behind trumped-up safety concerns to keep our beef off of their consumers‚ tables.”
The ITC report provides an overview of sanitary, animal health, and other non-tariff trade barriers in seven key markets: Japan, Korea, the European Union, China, Russia, Canada and Mexico. The report focuses on barriers that have been set in place related to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and found that BSE related barriers in Japan and Korea account for $9.5 billion in lost U.S. beef exports. With the elimination of these restrictive barriers in key markets, U.S. beef
producers could expect to gain $9 billion in added revenues.
South Korea and Japan banned U.S. beef after the first North American case of BSE, also known as mad cow disease, was identified in a dairy cow in 2003. Senator Nelson has consistently pushed Japan and South Korean to lift their bans, arguing that U.S. beef is safe and that keeping it restricted has been based on politics, not sound science.
“These unfair trade barriers continue to hurt our beef industry at a time when it is already facing higher costs and the fallout from this national economic crisis,” said Nelson. “I applaud Senator Max Baucus of Montana for requesting this report, spotlighting its findings and for his tireless efforts on behalf of U.S. beef producers. The current and next administration should use the report‚s findings to demand foreign markets accept importation of all U.S. beef.”
“For years, I have called for greater efforts on the part of USDA and USTR to re-open markets for U.S. beef worldwide,” said Sen. Nelson.
“Trade restrictions based on perceived health risks and not on sound science are unfair trade barriers and have cost Nebraska beef producers billions of dollars. While some progress has been made in Korea, more must be done to restore full and fair trade of U.S. beef with that important market. U.S. beef is the best and safest beef in the world and our trading partners shouldn’t hide behind trumped-up safety concerns to keep our beef off of their consumers‚ tables.”
The ITC report provides an overview of sanitary, animal health, and other non-tariff trade barriers in seven key markets: Japan, Korea, the European Union, China, Russia, Canada and Mexico. The report focuses on barriers that have been set in place related to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and found that BSE related barriers in Japan and Korea account for $9.5 billion in lost U.S. beef exports. With the elimination of these restrictive barriers in key markets, U.S. beef
producers could expect to gain $9 billion in added revenues.
South Korea and Japan banned U.S. beef after the first North American case of BSE, also known as mad cow disease, was identified in a dairy cow in 2003. Senator Nelson has consistently pushed Japan and South Korean to lift their bans, arguing that U.S. beef is safe and that keeping it restricted has been based on politics, not sound science.
“These unfair trade barriers continue to hurt our beef industry at a time when it is already facing higher costs and the fallout from this national economic crisis,” said Nelson. “I applaud Senator Max Baucus of Montana for requesting this report, spotlighting its findings and for his tireless efforts on behalf of U.S. beef producers. The current and next administration should use the report‚s findings to demand foreign markets accept importation of all U.S. beef.”
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