Pushback Over Brazil Beef Tariff Exemption; EPA Faces Pesticide Label Petition

The U.S. Trade Representative has launched an investigation into Brazilian policies that may unreasonably restrict or burden U.S. commerce. R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard discusses what that means for American cattle producers.

They found that 90% of the deforestation in Brazil is caused by agricultural production, and that the cap illegal cattle raising represents 78% of that 90% So the USTR was going to impose a tariff of 25% on all goods of Brazil. However, with respect to beef, they were going to exempt beef and apply no tariffs on Brazilian beef.

R-CALF testified before the USTR, objecting to an exemption for beef and arguing that excluding it would sideline the product most directly tied to the conduct identified in Brazil. Boarder says the current 26.4% tariff rate quota is not sufficient.

Brazil has continually exceeded the tariff rate quota, and they just continue to blow by that quota, which clearly indicates that 26.4 percent is not enough to offset the cheaper production costs they have in Brazil. So they have artificial advantages to the U.S.

And the Center for Biological Diversity has filed an emergency petition with the Environmental Protection Agency, asking them to add warning labels to pesticides containing ingredients that show possible links to cancer.