Argentina is hopeful US move will set precedent for its beef

Sergio Gustavo Rey, foreign promotion officer at IPCVA – the Institute for the Promotion of Beef Argentina, told GlobalMeatNews , that the country welcomed the US’ intention to authorise the import of fresh, chilled or frozen beef from northern Argentina. The decision was announced by the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) at the end of August. Although northern Argentina has not been assessed as being FMD-free, APHIS is proposing imports are allowed as long as they meet specific criteria. Rey said: "This decision had been anxiously awaited, given the fact that our country had satisfactorily complied with all the processes and procedures requested by the competent bodies in the US for the reopening of the US market." He said that as no positive response to Argentina’s demand were previously forthcoming, "consultations under the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO (World Trade Organization) were started with the United States in 2012". "The clear lack of progress made during the consultations prompted Argentina to request that a Special Group be reestablished within the WTO, a process that is ongoing." He said the opening of the US market would enable the South American country to fulfil its export quota of 20,000 tonnes (t) to the US. "This is a positive precedent in our country’s efforts to gain access to the Canadian and Mexican markets, but it will also facilitate access to markets with a greater demand for high-quality products, such as south-east Asia, and especially Japan and South Korea," he told GlobalMeatNews. In 2013 Argentina’s beef exports totalled 135,697t in volume "to the rest of the world", while exports for the first seven months of 2014 have amounted to 76,650t he said. "The leading export markets for Argentine beef measured in volume are Chile, Germany, Russia, Israel, China and The Netherlands, while the leading export markets in terms of value are Germany, Chile, The Netherlands, Israel, Russia and Brazil," said Rey. "We look forward to the completion of the processes laid down by the US and the effective opening of the US market for the import of fresh, chilled or frozen Argentine beef."

Argentina is hopeful US move will set precedent for its beef

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