April 14, 2015
US expands meat trade with Mexico and Peru
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reached agreements with Mexico and Peru to give US beef and pork producers greater market access.
The two agreements will allow US producers to export slaughter cattle to Mexico and expand access to consumer markets in Peru for US fresh and chilled pork.
The agreement with US and Mexico takes effect immediately and will allow US producers to export slaughter cattle to Mexico for the first time in over a decade. The USDA has been working with Mexico since 2008 to reopen this market.
For Peru, the USDA has conducted extensive negotiations with the country's Servicio National De Sanidad Agraria (SENASA) since 2012 to expand access for US fresh, chilled pork and pork products. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service export library will be updated to the new export requirements for these pork and pork products exports.
"Our priority at USDA is not only to open or reopen markets for our producers, but to help drive US economic growth through trade by supporting and creating American jobs on and off the farm," said secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack. "Mexico is an important market for US cattle producers, with the potential to import $15 million of live US cattle per year and we expect Peru's market could generate $5 million annually in additional pork sales."