Asia Pacific | Rising currency devastating Australian beef industryAustralia...

Asia Pacific

Rising currency devastating Australian beef industry
Australian cattle producers are facing a rapidly rising local currency in addition to their struggles with drought the last two years.

Beef Bonanza
U.S. market drives up Australian November beef exports.

Lamb Exports Historically High
U.S. and E.U. markets boost Australian lamb exports.

Meat Sector Upgraded
Korean government lays down its vision for the meat industry to 2013.

Beef Breakthrough
Imported beef is making a challenge to the Korean premium market.

Creeping Consumption
Beef consumption is rising inJapan despite tight supplies.

Americas

UPDATE 1-US, 4 Central American nations near trade deal-aide
The United States and four Central American countries were on the brink of completing a free trade deal on Wednesday after marathon negotiations that lasted through the night, aU.S. trade official said.

Mission to the EU
Cattle industry representatives are inEurope at the OIE to learn first-hand information about reopening the border to Canada within a year of Canada's discovery of BSE.

Costa Rica Leaves Trade Talks
Costa Rica's trade negotiators abruptly left talks yesterday on the creation of a Central American Free Trade Agreement, all but ensuring that the Bush administration would not be able to complete the trade deal by its promised year-end deadline. At issue, in large part, was U.S. access to Costa Rica's telecommunications and insurance market. Costa Rican negotiators said they hoped to return to the talks in January after consulting with political leaders in the capital, San Jose. U.S. negotiators continued to press the four remaining countries -- Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador -- to sign an agreement, but large differences remain over Central American access to U.S. sugar markets, and a textile deal that would steer Central American apparel makers to U.S. yarn and fabric suppliers, U.S. officials and trade groups said.

USA

No agreement yet in U.S.-Centam trade talks - aide
Trade negotiators from the United States and four Central American countries still have more work to do finish a free trade agreement, despite talking through the night amid expectations that a deal would be clinched on Wednesday, a U.S. official said.

USDA buys 3.69 mln pounds beef for food programs
The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Tuesday it will purchase 3.69 million pounds of frozen beef for about $5.43 million to use in federal food and nutrition programs.

Beef task force to unveil USA labeling program
A task force created by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association developed a proposal for a USA label program designating domestically produced product in the meat case, according to officials.

U.S. agribusinesses hammer out new trade deals with Cuba
American food producers pushed ahead on new trade with communistCuba on Monday, signing the first contracts in three days of negotiations expected to result in as much as $130 million in new sales.

Asia Pacific

Rising currency devastating Australian beef industry
Australian cattle producers are facing a rapidly rising local currency in addition to their struggles with drought the last two years.

Beef Bonanza
U.S. market drives up Australian November beef exports.

Lamb Exports Historically High
U.S. and E.U. markets boost Australian lamb exports.

Meat Sector Upgraded
Korean government lays down its vision for the meat industry to 2013.

Beef Breakthrough
Imported beef is making a challenge to the Korean premium market.

Creeping Consumption
Beef consumption is rising inJapan despite tight supplies.

Americas

UPDATE 1-US, 4 Central American nations near trade deal-aide
The United States and four Central American countries were on the brink of completing a free trade deal on Wednesday after marathon negotiations that lasted through the night, aU.S. trade official said.

Mission to the EU
Cattle industry representatives are inEurope at the OIE to learn first-hand information about reopening the border to Canada within a year of Canada's discovery of BSE.

Costa Rica Leaves Trade Talks
Costa Rica's trade negotiators abruptly left talks yesterday on the creation of a Central American Free Trade Agreement, all but ensuring that the Bush administration would not be able to complete the trade deal by its promised year-end deadline. At issue, in large part, was U.S. access to Costa Rica's telecommunications and insurance market. Costa Rican negotiators said they hoped to return to the talks in January after consulting with political leaders in the capital, San Jose. U.S. negotiators continued to press the four remaining countries -- Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador -- to sign an agreement, but large differences remain over Central American access to U.S. sugar markets, and a textile deal that would steer Central American apparel makers to U.S. yarn and fabric suppliers, U.S. officials and trade groups said.

USA

No agreement yet in U.S.-Centam trade talks - aide
Trade negotiators from the United States and four Central American countries still have more work to do finish a free trade agreement, despite talking through the night amid expectations that a deal would be clinched on Wednesday, a U.S. official said.

USDA buys 3.69 mln pounds beef for food programs
The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Tuesday it will purchase 3.69 million pounds of frozen beef for about $5.43 million to use in federal food and nutrition programs.

Beef task force to unveil USA labeling program
A task force created by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association developed a proposal for a USA label program designating domestically produced product in the meat case, according to officials.

U.S. agribusinesses hammer out new trade deals with Cuba
American food producers pushed ahead on new trade with communistCuba on Monday, signing the first contracts in three days of negotiations expected to result in as much as $130 million in new sales.