Dinner Celebrates Launch of U.S. Beef Cuts at Award-winning Chilean Steakhouses

Chile is one of this year’s fastest growing markets for U.S. beef exports – particularly for chilled beef muscle cuts. Export data through June show that 2011 muscle cut exports to Chile have increased by 145 percent in volume (1,174 metric tons or 2.6 million pounds) compared to the same period last year, while export value has nearly quadrupled to $6.45 million.

Last week, meat importer Inversiones Packets teamed with the U.S. Embassy in Santiago to celebrate the introduction of new U.S. beef cuts at Chile’s award-winning El Eladio steakhouses. U.S. Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff providing welcoming remarks for the dinner event, which featured a wide range of delicious entrees showcasing U.S. flank steak, skirt steak, T-bone steak and short ribs.

Rachel Bickford, USDA agricultural attaché to Chile, told guests that Chile’s growing appetite for U.S. beef is a clear illustration of the benefits of free trade. Chile is a sophisticated market for beef, and consumers now have more options to choose from when selecting beef cuts for their families.

Inversiones Packets Executive Director Miguel Zalaquett said his company imports a full range of boneless and bone-in beef cuts from the United States, and that U.S. grain-fed beef is popular with his company’s restaurant clients because it is more tender and flavorful than any other beef available in the market. El Eladio is a prime target, as its three steakhouse locations in Chile combine to serve an average of more than 3,000 entrees per day.

USMEF estimates that U.S. beef and beef variety meat exports to Chile could reach $20 million annually, based on Chile’s per-capita consumption and its pattern of imports from Australia and neighboring South American countries. Earlier this year, Chile lifted its 30-month cattle age restriction on U.S. beef and now accepts products from cattle of all ages. Chile still has unique labeling requirements, however, that create obstacles for some U.S. suppliers.