Asian Market Access among Hot Topics at Cattle Industry Summer Conference

July 15, 2009 - The 2009 Cattle Industry Summer Conference kicked off today, with cattle producers from across the nation gathering in Denver.

U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Philip Seng, who will address conference attendees later this week, says cattlemen are interested in a number of global market access issues. A particular topic of interest is whether the U.S. beef industry will be receiving relief anytime soon from Japan’s 20-month cattle age limit on imports of U.S beef.

Audio Clip #1:              :40        Outcue:            (… generate more exports.)

Seng added that most Asian trading partners prefer a phased approach to reopening their market to U.S. beef – a concept for which the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association expressed support at its annual meeting earlier this year. The U.S. government, however, has been more focused on agreements that fully reopen markets to beef from cattle of all ages.

Audio Clip #2:              :30        Outcue:            (… way to proceed.)

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.