U.S. meat exports have had their challenges in 2015, but beef has continued to hold strong. U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Phil Seng was interviewed by Ken Rahjes of AgView.net at the Summer Cattle Industry Convention last week in Denver. Seng said the value of beef exports are higher than last year’s strong performance.
“We’re up about two percent as far as our value and that’s building on a $7 - billion dollar market last year as far as exports,” Seng said. “I think we’re looking right at about $300 a head as far as the export dividend to the producer.”
The return to beef producers could go higher with movement on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement between the U.S. and eleven other countries. The Obama Administration has recently participated in TPP negotiations after being given Trade Promotion Authority recently by Congress. Seng said in 2015 the U.S. has had good sales to Asian Pacific Rim. He said Korea has had some challenges with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) which has caused fatalities and concerns over the outbreak, which has hurt the food service industry in Korea. Seng said exports have been strong in Japan with sales are above last year’s levels for the first five months of the year in terms of volume and value.
In looking back at the first half of the year, exports started off rough in getting product out of the United States. Seng said the West Coast Labor dispute disrupted product flow, so customers were sourcing meat products from other destinations, as a result beef exports from Australia are significantly higher this year. With passage of the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement, Seng said Australia has about a ten percent duty advantage over the U.S. That is being compounded by the Australian dollar depreciating while the U.S. dollar has appreciated in value.
In this highly competitive global market, the U.S. can’t stand still. Seng said it will require a combination of trade promotion efforts as well as negotiating trade agreements, such as TPP.
U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Phil Seng was featured on the Beef Buzz feature. Click or tap on the LISTEN BAR below to listen to today's Beef Buzz.
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