Need to Regain Beef Market in China

China, which is the world's fastest-growing beef import market, has been closed to U.S. beef since the 2003 BSE case.

US Meat Export Federation President and CEO Philip Seng discusses the importance of regaining access for U.S. beef

Seng: "We have not been able to gain access to Chinese market since the closure of the market in 2003 as a result of BSE. When we look at the Chinese market, it is the fastest growing market in the world. When the market is closed, it exerts tremendous pressure on pricing everywhere. So the closure of the Chinese market has been a heavy toll for us to pay. And again, our competitors are really enjoying this access right now. What we are seeing is that with the lack of forage base in China to sustain large cattle herds, there is tremendous growth in that market. It is going to continue and we want to be a participant in that growth."

While the Chinese market is not completely closed to U.S. pork, only a small number of U.S. pork plants are currently eligible to export to China. This is resulting in lost opportunities for the U.S. pork industry as well — especially as it enters a period of high production. Seng continues

Seng: "We have to figure a way to work with the Chinese — our competitors when they have a problem in China, they're there and they stay there until it is resolved. I think we just have to conintue take a lesson from that play book and do whatever we have to continually press our case for beef, pork — from a a lot of agricultural products from the U.S. in China."