Beef Safeguard Changes Critical in Highly Competitive Japanese Market

On March 24, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced changes to the safeguard on Japan’s imports of U.S. beef. The U.S. and Japanese governments will now work to finalize and implement these provisions.

USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom details the safeguard changes in this audio report. He notes that incorporating Japan's combined import volumes from the United States and the countries participating in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) into the safeguard trigger mechanism will help keep U.S. beef on a level tariff playing field with its major competitors.

Halstrom adds that competition in Japan will further intensify later this year as Australia's beef production rebounds, adding to the urgency of these safeguard changes.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations. USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law. USMEF is an equal opportunity employer and provider.