EU Mistreatment of U.S. Beef Exports

Late last week, the Office of the United States Trade Representative announced that it had begun the process of reinstating retaliatory tariffs on goods and products from the European Union due to E.U.s unfair treatment of U.S. beef.

In 2009 the U.S. and the E.U. signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which the E.U. agreed to create a new duty-free quota for imports of specially-produced beef to compensate the United States for losses arising from the E.U.'s ban on the use of hormones in beef production. Imports under the quota have grown steadily since then, and for the past two years, the entire 45,000 metric ton quota has been filled, though from countries other than the U.S.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association Director of International Trade Kent Bacus, NCBA Director of International Trade says the U.S. has tried unsuccessfully to engage the European Commission in discussions about ways to rectify this situation.

Bacus: "For the past couple of years, our government has trying to find some kind of resolution to this ongoing issue. Unfortunately the Europeans have just not been unwilling to work with us at all. The problem has gotten worse. We've continued to see our marketshare decline at a rapid pace and it's projected to continue to do so. So why would we continue to subject ourselves to such abuse under this relationship. If the Europeans are serious about trading with the United States they need to honor their commitments. Until they do so, we have no other alternatives but to seek retaliation under the WTO."