February 3, 2012

EU's grain-fed beef quota may increase

The EU Parliament's International Trade Committee has approved a proposed EU concession on importing beef under the grain-fed HQB quota, setting the way for a full Parliament vote on March 13 to raise the quota to 48,200 tonnes.

The quota increase was agreed in 2009 in bilateral conciliation talks and memoranda of understanding already concluded with the US and Canada.

Australia exported 4,225 tonnes of grain-fed beef to the EU in 2011, up from 13 tonnes in 2009. An increase in quota allocation would provide Australian producers with further opportunity to export high quality grain-fed beef to the high value EU market.