USMEF Submits Comments for Annual Report on Foreign Trade Barriers

USMEF has submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in preparation for USTR's National Trade Estimate, an annual report detailing foreign trade barriers faced by U.S. exporters.

USMEF's comments, which are available online, identify many obstacles that negatively impact red meat exports and/or increase costs for the U.S. industry, including:

China’s various market access barriers, including COVID-19 related measures and the 25% retaliatory duty on U.S. pork, imposed in response to Section 232 tariffs

Japan's annual safeguard for U.S. beef, which USMEF expects to be triggered early next year

Barriers that greatly limit U.S. red meat access in the European Union, including high tariffs, restrictive quotas and sanitary measures

Unwarranted restrictions on production and processing technologies

BSE-related market access restrictions for U.S. beef

Establishment registration lists and questionnaires

Continued lack of access to certain markets for U.S. lamb

The comments also recap the significant market access gains made in the past year in key markets such as Japan and China, and discuss the potential benefits of current trade agreement negotiations with the United Kingdom and Kenya.

USTR will submit the National Trade Estimate to Congress on or about April 1. The most recent edition of the report is available online, along with this agricultural fact sheet.

Exporters with questions may contact Erin Borror or the USMEF Export Services staff.