NCBA says Brazil is not playing fair with trade practices
Several representatives from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, including Kent Bacus, executive director of government affairs, testified at a Section 301 investigation hearing about Brazil’s unfair beef trade policies. The office of the United States Trade Representative hosted the hearing.
NCBA has stated Brazil’s trade actions are unfair and harmful to the U.S. beef industry. According to an NCBA press release, over the past five years Brazil has sold $4.45 billion in beef to U.S. consumers, but has simultaneously blocked the U.S. from accessing Brazilian consumer markets to sell its product.
“NCBA is extremely supportive of President Trump holding Brazil accountable by levying upwards of 76% tariffs on Brazilian goods headed to the U.S. market,” Bacus said. “This is a good first step, but the administration must continue to hold Brazil accountable for its trade barriers on U.S. beef and its lack of transparency and accountability. NCBA urges the Trump administration to suspend beef imports from Brazil until a thorough audit and inspection process proves that Brazil can meet an equivalent level of food safety and animal health.”
One major concern for NCBA is Brazil’s lax handling of animal disease, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The country’s slow response to animal health concerns creates unease in international markets as Brazilians continue to sell their product without concern for the spread of disease.
“NCBA was the first to raise alarms over the Brazilian government’s food safety issues in 2017 and its delays in reporting atypical BSE cases in 2021 and 2023,” Bacus said. “The United States holds all trading partners to the highest science-based standards, and Brazil should not be the exception.”
The office of the U.S. Trade Representative is expected to use the testimonies provided at the hearing and decide how to move forward for a solution to the Brazilian beef concerns levied by NCBA.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
(Photo by Skdatastream via Pixabay.)
