USMEF Statement on Signing of U.S.-EU Agreement on Access for U.S. Beef

Published: Aug 05, 2019

On Aug. 2 at the White House, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer signed an agreement granting the United States a country-specific share of the European Union's duty-free high-quality beef quota. More details are in this USTR news release.

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom, who participated in the White House ceremony, issued the following statement:

This agreement provides more reliable and consistent access to the EU market and will be a tremendous boost for the U.S. beef industry. The agreement sends a very positive signal to customers in Europe who see a bright future for U.S. beef and to producers who are interested in expanding their non-hormone treated cattle (NHTC) business but have grown frustrated as they struggled to recover the additional production costs. USMEF greatly appreciates the tireless efforts of USTR and USDA to secure better access to this very high-value beef market.

The White House ceremony, which included remarks from President Trump and Halstrom, can be viewed on C-SPAN.

At a White House ceremony with President Trump, USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom thanks the Trump administration for securing improved access for U.S. beef in the European Union. Also pictured are U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (far left) and Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota).