Imports and Exports
Japan, the world’s largest pork importer, may accelerate tariff talks with Canada to increase pressure on the U.S. to ease demands for cuts in agricultural protection, the Asian nation’s biggest hog farmers group said.
Japan, the world’s largest pork buyer, will lower its tariff on pig meat shipments from Australia in a bilateral trade agreement that also reduces import duties on beef.
A federal appeals court is allowing labels on certain cuts of meat to say where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered.
Japan opens beef trade; conversely, trade barriers and other obstacles seem to be emerging at a rather alarming rate in 2013.
Labeling would require the origin designations to include information about where each of the production steps occurred.
The first month of 2013 offered a mix of good news and challenges for exports of U.S. beef and pork during January
U.S. pork exports for the first 11 months of 2012 continued to exceed the record-setting pace of 2011.
U.S. pork exports in September were steady with last year’s volume, while beef exports were well below a year ago, says the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Despite a continued slump in U.S. red meat export volume, the value of beef and pork exports remained slightly ahead of 2011.
Overall, pork and beef export value totals continue to outpace last year’s records.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation reports that pork and beef exports concluded the first half of 2012 in solid fashion.
But beef export results were mixed with beef export volume down but beef values up.
The World Trade Organization Appellate Body upholds earlier findings that U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labeling violates trade agreement.
U.S. pork exports remained well ahead of last year’s record pace through February, while beef exports trended slightly lower.
U.S. red meat exports have a tough act to follow after a record-setting year, but the early indications for 2012 are good.
Exports of U.S. pork, beef and lamb set new records across the board in 2011.
U.S. pork exports set another monthly volume record, which helped offset high production. Beef exports remain strong too.
October was another excellent month for U.S. pork and beef exports.
The World Trade Organization sides with Canada and Mexico in a complaint against the U.S. mandatory country of origin labeling.
President Obama signs the Free Trade Agreements approved by Congress last week, and all that’s left is implementation.
The pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea represent nearly $2.5 billion in new agriculture exports.
These free trade agreements represent nearly $2.5 billion in new agriculture exports.
Beef and pork are on pace to set new export value records in 2011 and to eclipse the $5 billion mark.
If the trend established in the first six months of the year holds up, U.S. beef and pork exports are likely to set several new records in 2011.
WTO preliminary rule says the U.S. country of origin labeling law violates certain technical barriers to trade.
For March, beef posts a 65% gain in value versus year-ago levels and pork showing an impressive 40% increase.
While milk production forecast is slightly reduced.
Total beef exports were up 47.2% in value and 25% in volume, while total pork exports jumped 15% in value and 8 % in volume.
U.S. Meat Export Federation staff in Japan offer persepective on the current conditions and longer term outlook for meat trade.