USMEF Conducts Educational Webinars for Red Meat Exporters

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is conducting monthly, web-based educational seminars for staff of its member companies, providing instructions for properly documenting and executing shipments of U.S. pork, beef and lamb to international destinations.

Travis Arp, USMEF senior director of export services, explains that while most of USMEF's daily contact with these companies is at the sales executive level, the webinars have attracted broader attendance from members who specialize in areas such as documentation and logistics. The series began with an "Export 101" session, explaining the basics of preparing export shipments and highlighting common errors that can cause products to be delayed or rejected. This was followed by a session focusing specifically on China, which included a review of China's import requirements and the market access changes achieved through the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement.

USMEF Director of Export Services Cheyenne McEndaffer led the most recent webinar, which focused on exporting to Mexico. Speakers from USMEF and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) identified several issues that can cause shipments to be detained at the border, including failure to comply with Mexico's complex labeling requirements. The next session, which is set for late September, will focus on South America.

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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.