June 14, 2006

US group says other nations not entitled to listing and delisting meat plants

The US should not cede listing and delisting of packing plants to other countries, the American Meat Institute (AMI) said.

The USDA does not permit--and should not cede authority for listing and delisting plants to other nations, said AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle in news release.

Boyle was referring to negotiations between the US and Korea to restore beef trade. Talks have stalled because Korea's inspectors have found that seven out of 38 plants do not meet their safety requirements. Creekstone, a meat processing plant has called on the US to allow plant-by-plant tests, in effect hinting that exports would be better facilitated if importing countries only ban certain plants not meeting requirements rather than plants from the whole country.

Boyle reminded USDA its role was to certify the integrity of the US system for export according to the terms of agreements. In a February 2006 letter to the USDA, AMI told Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns that it would strongly object to any picking and choosing of plants for export to Japan and Korea.

While agreeing that observation visits by Japanese technical teams to US. plants acts as a confidence-building measure, AMI would strongly object to any suggestion that the Japanese government should be given the authority to list and de-list US. plants.

If Asian markets require this policy, it would create a completely unworkable environment for international trade in beef and that would debilitate the US's ability to negotiate Free Trade Agreements, the letter noted.

Boyle said the US meat inspection system is among the most comprehensive in the world, adding that AMI believes full resumption of trade is deserved and long overdue.