Last August, Brazil said it would remove barriers to U.S. beef that were imposed in 2003 in the name of preventing mad cow disease. Nine months later, the first shipment of fresh U.S. beef has cleared customs for sale to Brazilian consumers, said the USDA.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said U.S. beef exports “are poised for new growth. I look forward to Brazilians getting the opportunity to eat delicious American beef, because once they taste it, they’ll want more of it.” Ten percent of U.S. beef is exported, so overseas sales are an important source of revenue for producers. In a separate decision that came at the same time as Brazil’s announcement on U.S. beef, the USDA said Brazil would be allowed to send chilled or frozen beef to U.S. buyers.
The USDA also announced that the EU has modified its citrus import rules to no longer require inspection of U.S. citrus groves. Instead, the EU will require that countries where citrus canker has been found have a disease management plan and that they take steps to ensure that exports show no signs of the disease. The change will save U.S. growers $5.6 million a year in inspection costs, said the USDA. The U.S. trade representative’s office has long considered the inspection requirement an unfair trade barrier.