Posted April 29, 2014
The comment period recently closed for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) proposed rule to allow fresh beef imports from 14 Brazilian states. The proposed rule has mixed reviews from those in the agricultural industry, according to a Drovers article available here. Feedstuffs and Farm Futures also reported on the story hereand here.
The American Meat Institute (AMI) and the American Farm Bureau (AFBF) submitted comments in support of the rule, but the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) oppose the proposed rule.
The proposed rule, available here, would allow an average of 40,000 metric tons of beef from Brazil to be imported to the U.S., increasing total U.S. beef imports by less than 1 percent, according to APHIS. APHIS also estimates that the wholesale price of beef, the retail price of beef, and the price of cattle (steers) would decline by 0.11 percent, 0.4 percent, and 0.14 percent, respectively.
The NCBA voiced its concern that the risk of potential introduction of foot and mouth disease (FMD) into the U.S. is too great, saying. “While NCBA supports import rules based on scientifically informed principles and consistent with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines, NCBA does not support the proposed rule by USDA APHIS to import fresh beef from the Region in Brazil into the United States. We have significant concerns regarding the willingness, committed resources, and infrastructure of Brazil to consistently perform adequate risk management in order to mitigate the risk for the introduction of FMD into the United States…”
APHIS completed a risk analysis based on site visits to the proposed export regions in 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, and 2013, but the NCBA argues that APHIS did not review all factors for animal health status during each of its visits. APHIS “concluded in its risk assessment that Brazil had protocols in place to quickly detect and eradicate FMD if necessary.”
The United States has not had a case of FMD since 1929.
For more information on international trade, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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