American beef producers given continued EU market access

WASHINGTON — United States Trade Rep. Michael Froman and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently announced the European Union will provide U.S. beef producers with significant access, at zero duty, to the EU market for high-quality beef produced from non-hormone-treated cattle.

Extension

The United States and the European Union are planning to extend for two years Phase 2 of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2009 in connection with the U.S.’ long-running dispute with the European Union over its ban on beef from cattle treated with certain growth-promoting hormones.

In the year since Phase 2 began, U.S. beef shipments under the quota were an estimated $200 million, up 300 percent from the value of exports in the year before the MOU entered into force.

Details

Under the extension, the EU would maintain until Aug. 2, 2015 its duty-free tariff rate quota for high-quality beef, established pursuant to the MOU between the United States of America and the European Commission

Regarding the Importation of Beef from Animals not Treated with Certain Growth Promoting Hormones, at the Phase 2 quantity of 45,000 metric tons per year.