02/16/06 European Union trade

European Union Trade Maybe we need to turn around to look for replacement beef markets. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in one minute to explain. The big concern over the last two years has been getting Pacific Rim countries to resume importing American beef. Some of these markets have returned on a limited basis, but meat scientist, Gary Smith of Colorado State University thinks we may never regain some markets. Possibly we should look in a different direction such as the European Union to replace lost markets. An EU growth hormone ban closed markets to most U.S. beef since 1989, but changes in EU's Common Agricultural Policy and beef demand surpassing domestic supply has opened the gates for U.S. beef. The unfilled quota given the U.S. by the EU is now at 11,500 metric tons. Jeffrey Davies, a United Kingdom-based wholesale meat supplier to food retailer, Smithfield Market, says there is a demand for high-quality U.S. beef. U.S. grain-fed beef is a big seller in Europe's most exclusive restaurants. Import approval to EU markets takes time and is costly, but opens markets with little competition. To qualify beef for EU imports, firms must submit a detailed outline of ranch operations including tractability of their product, feeding ingredients, must be non-hormone treated certified by the USDA and cattle must be processed at EU-approved plants. Sixteen U.S. producers are now certified for EU exports, possibly they won't worry quite so much about lost Asian markets. I'm Jeff Keane.