NFU, USCA disappointed with APHIS decision on importing Argentine, Brazilian beef
June 30, 2015 |11:49 AM
As President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff continued meeting today, the National Farmers Union and the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association expressed disappointment that the Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has decided fresh and chilled beef from some regions of northern Argentina and Brazil can be imported safely into the United States.
“Today’s decision to allow imports of beef from Brazil and Argentina, regions with a history of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), puts the economic livelihood of American producers at risk, as it unnecessarily exposes the U.S. livestock industry to a highly contagious disease,” National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said in a news release late Monday.
Johnson noted that in 2001, an outbreak of FMD in the United Kingdom resulted in the slaughter or burning of nearly 3 million animals. The epidemic was costly both to farmers and the economy; total losses to agriculture and the food chain amounting to roughly £3.1 billion, or $4.88 billion.
“Any opening of the U.S. market to the stated regions in South America is a step back for the health of the U.S. cattle herd,” said USCA President Danni Beer.
“However, this issue stems not only from concerns regarding our domestic herd, but also to the political ramifications such a change in trade with this region would signal. Through this announcement, the U.S. would be rewarding countries that are proven bad actors in the international trade arena.”
“USCA recognizes the risk assessments completed by USDA-APHIS within the proposed processing facilities and supply chains in the specified regions,” Beer continued.
“However, we simply do not trust Brazil and Argentina to implement the necessary protocol and safe handling practices on a consistent and comprehensive basis across all supply lines to ensure the safety of those fresh beef products shipped to the U.S.,” she said.
“The margin of error when addressing foot and mouth disease is extremely slim, every precaution and necessary safeguard must be in place to ensure safe handling and transportation of product; we remain unconvinced of Brazil and Argentina’s commitment to this process based on their ongoing actions in the international trade arena.”
“Brazil continues to file cases against the U.S. and our trading partners at the World Trade Organization, Argentina is still in default on its substantial debt to the U.S.; why we would reward such actions by allowing for the import of their products to the U.S. is of utmost concern to producers across the country,” she concluded.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association both denounced the decision on Monday.
In making the announcement, a USDA official said that if the United States expects other countries to follow the international food safety standards promulgated by the Paris-based agency known by its French acronym OIE, it must also follow them.
“As you know, we are currently confronting trade barriers to U.S. poultry from various countries related to our ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in several states,” the official said.
“Our goal is to ensure those countries accept regionalization following OIE guidelines, which would allow exports of U.S. poultry from states or regions unaffected by HPAI and help the U.S. to overcome trade barriers.
“Our hope is that countries apply fair, science-based standards to exports. And if we are asking other countries to apply fair, science-based standards to exports, the United States needs to follow the same consideration when evaluating potential imports of agriculture commodities into the United States.”
APHIS said USDA officials have traveled to Argentina and Brazil several times to conduct inspections before announcing that the imports would be allowed. But APHIS also noted that this step, which was announced the same day that Rousseff visited Obama at the White House, is only the first in allowing the imports.
“USDA will assess their equivalence with U.S. standards through a review of their regulatory programs as well as an in-country audit of their food safety systems,” APHIS said.
“Today’s decision to allow imports of beef from Brazil and Argentina, regions with a history of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), puts the economic livelihood of American producers at risk, as it unnecessarily exposes the U.S. livestock industry to a highly contagious disease,” National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said in a news release late Monday.
Johnson noted that in 2001, an outbreak of FMD in the United Kingdom resulted in the slaughter or burning of nearly 3 million animals. The epidemic was costly both to farmers and the economy; total losses to agriculture and the food chain amounting to roughly £3.1 billion, or $4.88 billion.
“Any opening of the U.S. market to the stated regions in South America is a step back for the health of the U.S. cattle herd,” said USCA President Danni Beer.
“However, this issue stems not only from concerns regarding our domestic herd, but also to the political ramifications such a change in trade with this region would signal. Through this announcement, the U.S. would be rewarding countries that are proven bad actors in the international trade arena.”
“USCA recognizes the risk assessments completed by USDA-APHIS within the proposed processing facilities and supply chains in the specified regions,” Beer continued.
“However, we simply do not trust Brazil and Argentina to implement the necessary protocol and safe handling practices on a consistent and comprehensive basis across all supply lines to ensure the safety of those fresh beef products shipped to the U.S.,” she said.
“The margin of error when addressing foot and mouth disease is extremely slim, every precaution and necessary safeguard must be in place to ensure safe handling and transportation of product; we remain unconvinced of Brazil and Argentina’s commitment to this process based on their ongoing actions in the international trade arena.”
“Brazil continues to file cases against the U.S. and our trading partners at the World Trade Organization, Argentina is still in default on its substantial debt to the U.S.; why we would reward such actions by allowing for the import of their products to the U.S. is of utmost concern to producers across the country,” she concluded.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association both denounced the decision on Monday.
In making the announcement, a USDA official said that if the United States expects other countries to follow the international food safety standards promulgated by the Paris-based agency known by its French acronym OIE, it must also follow them.
“As you know, we are currently confronting trade barriers to U.S. poultry from various countries related to our ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in several states,” the official said.
“Our goal is to ensure those countries accept regionalization following OIE guidelines, which would allow exports of U.S. poultry from states or regions unaffected by HPAI and help the U.S. to overcome trade barriers.
“Our hope is that countries apply fair, science-based standards to exports. And if we are asking other countries to apply fair, science-based standards to exports, the United States needs to follow the same consideration when evaluating potential imports of agriculture commodities into the United States.”
APHIS said USDA officials have traveled to Argentina and Brazil several times to conduct inspections before announcing that the imports would be allowed. But APHIS also noted that this step, which was announced the same day that Rousseff visited Obama at the White House, is only the first in allowing the imports.
“USDA will assess their equivalence with U.S. standards through a review of their regulatory programs as well as an in-country audit of their food safety systems,” APHIS said.
