The Board of Directors of the U.S. Meat Export Federation approved a bylaws c...

Published: Aug 29, 2003

The Board of Directors of the U.S. Meat Export Federation approved a bylaws change and the first investment schedule increase in 10 years during its meeting in New Orleans May 25.

The bylaws change removed the old dues structure and created a separate investment schedule outside the bylaws. This investment schedule can now be reviewed annually by the board as part of its budgeting process. The new investment schedule provided for across-the –board increases for all classes of membership, but did provide for new membership opportunities for small packers, processors, purveyors and traders, and for smaller state farm organizations willing to “share” a seat on the board.

In other business, the USMEF Board of Directors modified and approved the following resolutions due to “sunset” at the meeting:

To work with USDA to develop standard beef export documentation declaring U.S. beef “BSE-free.”
To call on all member organizations to notify USMEF if considering measures that could affect meat imports or exports.
To expedite the People’s Republic of China’s ascension into the WTO.

In addition, the USMEF Board of Directors also approved the following new resolutions:

To work with Mexican officials, legislators and importers to amend current Mexican law calling for verification points on the Mexican side of the border.
To work with U.S. and Korean governments to maintain current country-of-origin requirements on meat products entering Korea.
To encourage U.S. government agencies to approve an EU request as a single entity for export certification.
To support “regionalization” of animal diseases in determining a country’s export status.
To encourage, “through eligible member organizations,” increased U.S. government funding for development of foreign markets.
To reassess international market opportunities to help the pork industry achieve its goal of a 15-percent increase in pork exports annually over the next 5 years.

In 2000, according to newly revised USDA statistics, total U.S. beef exports grew by 12 percent in volume to more than 1.24 million metric tons, while value grew 13 percent to $3.6 billion. Pork exports grew 12 percent in volume to more than 568,000 metric tons, while value grew 18 percent to $1.3 billion. Exports now account for nearly 13 percent of U.S. beef production and more than 8 percent of U.S. pork production on a wholesale weight basis.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation 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, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.