06/01/05 Tougher trade

Tougher Trade The National Cattlemen's Beef Association president came to Washington State for some industry discussions late week. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll have some observations on the talks right after this. Jim McAdams, president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association made himself available to Washington state cattle feeders and producers last week at two different meetings. Now, of course, the topics most discussed were the Canadian border issue and Country of Origin Labeling. These two items have been cussed and discussed, analyzed and speculated over for what seems like years now. Probably only the Super Bowl or the World Series have been analyzed any more. The rhetoric on both sides of these issues was pretty much the same as it has been for the past few months. Since nobody knows what will happen when the Canadian border reopens to live cattle imports. I can't help but think some segment or segments of the American cattle industry are going to lose money until the markets get readjusted and I don't think that readjustment will mean a higher market level for producers. One thing brought up at Jim McAdams' visit that most people there could agree on was the idea that NCBA urge the USDA to be tougher traders in negotiating trade agreements and disagreements with other countries. I know I don't know enough about international trade, but it sure seems to me the US just rolls over in a lot of trade deals and our trading partners dictate and use more of the rules of trade to their advantage than we ever have. I'm Jeff Keane.