Beef Industry Urges Trump to Talk Trade with China

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is urging President Trump to raise the restoration of U.S. Beef access to China when he meets with China’s President next month. NCBA signed a letter, along with the U.S. Meat Export Federation and the North American Meat Institute asking the President to talk beef trade with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

American beef producers have been denied access to China, a $2.6 billion import market, since 2003.

Last fall China announced that it had lifted its ban on imports of U.S. beef, but attempts since then to negotiate the technical terms of access have been unsuccessful. NCBA CEO Kendal Frazier told Trump in the letter that "we strongly encourage you to take this important opportunity to convey the urgent need for China to reopen its market to U.S. beef." In 2016, American beef producers sold $6.3 billion worth of U.S. beef to customers around the world, with three of the industry's top foreign markets located in Asia.

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