U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer over the weekend offered new details on the progress made in last week’s U.S.-China trade talks, which were held in conjunction with the summit meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a statement, Greer confirmed that the two sides have agreed to separate trade of some non-sensitive goods under the recently established U.S.-China Board of Trade. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom said the inclusion of both U.S. pork and beef – including variety meats – on the list of products to be considered for more favorable treatment has him cautiously optimistic.
Both U.S. beef and pork face retaliatory duties in China and there are a number of non-tariff barriers, including the suspension of several U.S. beef processing and cold storage facilities (accounting for about half of U.S. fed beef capacity) and onerous and inconsistent inspection requirements. However, no tariff changes have been announced yet.
A technical agricultural working group under the U.S.-China Board of Trade is slated to meet before the end of the year. Halstrom says he is appreciative of the continued focus USTR has maintained on U.S. red meat access issues.
