The relaunch of U.S. beef products into the Egyptian market and the repositio...

The relaunch of U.S. beef products into the Egyptian market and the repositioning strategy that the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) initiated in September 2005 have generated immediate success and continue to reap tangible rewards.

USMEF achieved a critical breakthrough when it persuaded the Cairo Marriott’s trendsetting JW’s Steakhouse to feature U.S. beef liver cutlets on its menu. The two-week U.S. Beef Festival opened with a major promotional event at the Cairo Marriott attended by Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) and other U.S. Embassy staff. The festival was carefully promoted in the local media and at strategic locations in the Cairo Marriott. JW’s success with its U.S. beef dishes prompted five other hotels to discuss prices and purchase plans of U.S. beef with local importers, and they are expected to conclude deals soon. Four Cairo hotels and six high-class restaurants are now serving U.S. high-quality steaks, beef liver cutlets and processed beef items as regular menu choices.

Egypt has long been a major market for U.S. beef livers. The December 2003 ban closed a market that had attracted average annual exports of U.S. beef livers in excess of 20,000 metric tons. Despite negligible export levels in the first quarter due to the ban, 2005 U.S. beef variety meat exports to Egypt reached 23,967 metric tons (mt) even prior to the publication of December statistics. Following USMEF’s U.S. Beef Festival (Sept. 7-21), U.S. beef variety meat exports hit 5,275 mt in October and 4,156 mt in November.

Prior to the ban U.S. beef livers were found only in restaurants and at wet markets, but USMEF efforts in the last few months succeeded in expanding distribution to three major supermarket chains catering to middle- and upper-income shoppers.

Now USMEF is working to gain access for U.S. beef kidneys and hearts. A shelf-life presentation by a Colorado State University technical team was approved in principle by Egyptian authorities, and the government of Egypt has made a formal proposal to amend its import requirements. USMEF is working with the Foreign Agricultural Service to avoid delays occasioned by the free trade agreement negotiations between Egypt and the USA.

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, lamb, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –