Vetter To Lead Trade Discussion At World Meat Congress

The 2018 World Meat Congress gets underway next week in Dallas.  ​Trade policy issues will be front-and-center at the WMC, as a panel of experts will discuss the likely future direction of the global trading system.  The panel will be moderated by Ambassador Darci Vetter, former chief agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The panel will include Ted McKinney, USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, Kenneth Smith Ramos, chief NAFTA negotiator for the Mexican Ministry of the Economy, and Jean-Marc Trarieux, who manages trade issues with North and South America for the European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

"I am particularly excited to be in front of such a multinational audience, that is really a rare opportunity.  I hope that the audience can leave this panel with a better perspective on how key regions of the world can position themselves for the future of global meat trade."

Veter noted that vision should be more than just bilateral trade deals.

"But how they see their country participating in the overall trading system, not only tariffs or trade agreements, but also some of the animal health and the human health issues that have been affecting trade in the meat industry."

In addition to the panel on trade, other key note speakers include Sonny Perdue, Argentine Agriculture Minister Luis Miguel Etchevehere and Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay.  For a complete agenda and other details, please visit the WMC’s Website.

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