Mexico                                   

Mexico                                                                                         

National Pork Board To Meet In Mexico City

“Mexico is a country with great potential for U.S. pork exports, due to the fact most Mexicans love the flavor and versatility of pork,” said USMEF Director, Mexico Gilberto Lozano in a National Pork Board (NPB) news release issued late last month.

The NPB is having its first 2006 meeting in Mexico (Jan. 8-11), and its members will hear presentations on the Mexican market and the Mexican pork market and see how USMEF’s El cerdo es bueno (pork is good) marketing campaign, created by the Pork Checkoff for the U.S. Hispanic market, is being used in Mexico to help Mexican consumers understand that pork can be a wholesome and nutritious part of their daily diets. The board members will also visit retail stores and learn how USMEF promotes U.S. pork in Mexico. They will also meet with Mexican and U.S. trade officials and tour retail and traditional “wet” markets in Mexico City to get a better understanding of opportunities for U.S. producers.

“Mexicans consume pork in a variety of ways such as carnitas, cueritos, pozole, tacos al pastor and in many other traditional dishes,” said Lozano “The southern region of the country is particularly fond of pork. Processed meats have grown enormously in the last decade and represent more than 60 percent of the pork imports that come into the country.”

The NPB’s meeting agenda includes approving employee and organizational goals for 2006, discussing progress of a broad-based industry coalition working to address animal welfare issues, and approving plans for the Pork Industry Forum, March 2-4 in Kansas City, Mo.

In 2004, a record year for U.S. pork exports worldwide, U.S. pork (including variety meat) exports to Mexico totaled 361,587 metric tons, the highest total ever. The value of U.S. pork exports to Mexico was almost $567 million, which was not only a record but a sevenfold increase over 1995.

The full text of the NPB news release can be read online.

Hong Kong

USMEF And USDA Hold Meeting With Trade On New Beef Import Conditions

USMEF and USDA held a joint meeting today (Jan. 3) for more than 90 members of Hong Kong's beef trade. The meeting reviewed the newly established import conditions for U.S. beef and the provisions of USDA's beef export verification (BEV) program for Hong Kong. USMEF also briefed attendees on current U.S. beef market conditions and discussed promotion and marketing plans for the U.S. beef relaunch in the territory. Lloyd Harbert, the director of USDA's Agricultural Trade Office, demonstrated key BEV supply information contained on the Agriculture Marketing Service website and encouraged buyers to visit USDA's site on a daily basis to keep abreast of new approved plants.

Hong Kong traders are keenly interested in restarting U.S. beef imports but are cautious about current price movements. USMEF-Hong Kong notes that ample supplies of certain Canadian beef items are in stock, and thus buying interest in certain product categories may be muted in the short run. On the other hand, a host of establishments, including a number of hotels, restaurants and retailers are anxious to put U.S. beef back on their shelvesand in menus, and this has prompted some early air-freight orders for U.S. chilled beef. USMEF expects the first U.S. beef shipments to arrive in Hong Kong by late this week or early next week. This week, USDA will attempt to engage Macau officials about re-establishing U.S. beef import eligibility, as that territory pledged to follow Hong Kong's lead in re-opening. Macau, unlike Hong Kong, currently allows imports of bone-in Canadian beef.

Mexico                                                                                         

National Pork Board To Meet In Mexico City

“Mexico is a country with great potential for U.S. pork exports, due to the fact most Mexicans love the flavor and versatility of pork,” said USMEF Director, Mexico Gilberto Lozano in a National Pork Board (NPB) news release issued late last month.

The NPB is having its first 2006 meeting in Mexico (Jan. 8-11), and its members will hear presentations on the Mexican market and the Mexican pork market and see how USMEF’s El cerdo es bueno (pork is good) marketing campaign, created by the Pork Checkoff for the U.S. Hispanic market, is being used in Mexico to help Mexican consumers understand that pork can be a wholesome and nutritious part of their daily diets. The board members will also visit retail stores and learn how USMEF promotes U.S. pork in Mexico. They will also meet with Mexican and U.S. trade officials and tour retail and traditional “wet” markets in Mexico City to get a better understanding of opportunities for U.S. producers.

“Mexicans consume pork in a variety of ways such as carnitas, cueritos, pozole, tacos al pastor and in many other traditional dishes,” said Lozano “The southern region of the country is particularly fond of pork. Processed meats have grown enormously in the last decade and represent more than 60 percent of the pork imports that come into the country.”

The NPB’s meeting agenda includes approving employee and organizational goals for 2006, discussing progress of a broad-based industry coalition working to address animal welfare issues, and approving plans for the Pork Industry Forum, March 2-4 in Kansas City, Mo.

In 2004, a record year for U.S. pork exports worldwide, U.S. pork (including variety meat) exports to Mexico totaled 361,587 metric tons, the highest total ever. The value of U.S. pork exports to Mexico was almost $567 million, which was not only a record but a sevenfold increase over 1995.

The full text of the NPB news release can be read online.

Hong Kong

USMEF And USDA Hold Meeting With Trade On New Beef Import Conditions

USMEF and USDA held a joint meeting today (Jan. 3) for more than 90 members of Hong Kong's beef trade. The meeting reviewed the newly established import conditions for U.S. beef and the provisions of USDA's beef export verification (BEV) program for Hong Kong. USMEF also briefed attendees on current U.S. beef market conditions and discussed promotion and marketing plans for the U.S. beef relaunch in the territory. Lloyd Harbert, the director of USDA's Agricultural Trade Office, demonstrated key BEV supply information contained on the Agriculture Marketing Service website and encouraged buyers to visit USDA's site on a daily basis to keep abreast of new approved plants.

Hong Kong traders are keenly interested in restarting U.S. beef imports but are cautious about current price movements. USMEF-Hong Kong notes that ample supplies of certain Canadian beef items are in stock, and thus buying interest in certain product categories may be muted in the short run. On the other hand, a host of establishments, including a number of hotels, restaurants and retailers are anxious to put U.S. beef back on their shelvesand in menus, and this has prompted some early air-freight orders for U.S. chilled beef. USMEF expects the first U.S. beef shipments to arrive in Hong Kong by late this week or early next week. This week, USDA will attempt to engage Macau officials about re-establishing U.S. beef import eligibility, as that territory pledged to follow Hong Kong's lead in re-opening. Macau, unlike Hong Kong, currently allows imports of bone-in Canadian beef.