Negotiations Extended as U.S., EU Officials Seek Beef Trade Compromise

Negotiations Extended as U.S., EU Officials Seek Beef Trade Compromise

According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, officials from the United States and the European Union have agreed to extend negotiations aimed at resolving the two-decades-old trade dispute regarding beef produced with growth promotants.

“The United States will delay the trade action until May 9, to provide a little more time to negotiate a settlement with the EU,” explained U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk in a USTR news release. “The EU has demonstrated seriousness in their efforts to solve this problem, and two additional weeks should be sufficient to establish whether we can address the remaining issues successfully.”

April 23 was the date on which the USTR was scheduled to impose carousel retaliation measures raising duties on a new lineup of products imported from the EU. This action, which was originally announced Jan. 15, helped spark negotiations on a compromise solution that would leave the EU’s growth hormone ban in place but provide other trade relief that may allow the United States to export a higher volume of beef into Europe.

According to Thad Lively, USMEF senior vice president for policy, planning and research, the extension is a positive development.

“The carousel retaliation measures announced by USTR have been an effective tool for getting the EU to the negotiating table, but imposing tariffs on a new round of imports from the EU is not really the outcome anyone wants,” Lively said. “We see these negotiations as a potential way to replace the retaliation with something of value for the U.S. beef industry. It will be much better for the industry if a solution can be found that allows us to serve this market with a higher volume of beef exports.”

Discussions on the potential compromise are expected to resume on Monday, April 27.

Negotiations Extended as U.S., EU Officials Seek Beef Trade Compromise

According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, officials from the United States and the European Union have agreed to extend negotiations aimed at resolving the two-decades-old trade dispute regarding beef produced with growth promotants.

“The United States will delay the trade action until May 9, to provide a little more time to negotiate a settlement with the EU,” explained U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk in a USTR news release. “The EU has demonstrated seriousness in their efforts to solve this problem, and two additional weeks should be sufficient to establish whether we can address the remaining issues successfully.”

April 23 was the date on which the USTR was scheduled to impose carousel retaliation measures raising duties on a new lineup of products imported from the EU. This action, which was originally announced Jan. 15, helped spark negotiations on a compromise solution that would leave the EU’s growth hormone ban in place but provide other trade relief that may allow the United States to export a higher volume of beef into Europe.

According to Thad Lively, USMEF senior vice president for policy, planning and research, the extension is a positive development.

“The carousel retaliation measures announced by USTR have been an effective tool for getting the EU to the negotiating table, but imposing tariffs on a new round of imports from the EU is not really the outcome anyone wants,” Lively said. “We see these negotiations as a potential way to replace the retaliation with something of value for the U.S. beef industry. It will be much better for the industry if a solution can be found that allows us to serve this market with a higher volume of beef exports.”

Discussions on the potential compromise are expected to resume on Monday, April 27.