The lifting of the ban would allow imports from 15 Brazilian states, including the largest beef-producing states of Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Goias states, the official said.

Concerns about foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) throughout Brazil have limited the export potential of Brazilian beef globally, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Twice-a-year vaccinations against FMD are regularly carried out in Brazil, although most of the country is widely accepted as being free of FMD.

The last reported outbreak of FMD in Brazil was in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in November 2005.

The cause of the outbreak was linked to “cattle rangers” who smuggled unvaccinated animals in from neighboring Paraguay.

In 2008 the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) recognized Mato Grosso do Sul as a FMD-free zone.

Once any rule allowing fresh beef imports from Brazil is drafted, the USDA will hold a public comment period and then begin writing a final rule.

The U.S. was considering allowing beef imports from Brazil in 2004 and into 2005 – up until the time of the October 2005 outbreak in Mato Grosso do Sul.

Today, beef imports from Brazil are limited to thermally treated, processed and canned products, typically corned beef and beef extract.

Canada
South Korean officials say their country is likely to lift an eight-year ban on Canadian beef imports by the end of June.

This is part of a larger effort to initiate sweeping changes in its grain growing and import policies in the face of rising global food prices.

Rising global food prices have prompted the country to eye participation in grain operations abroad and encourage farmers to grow more corn and wheat while easing rice import policies, said Yoo Jeong-bok, South Korea’s food minister.

The country is working with Canada to solve a dispute on beef imports banned in late 2003 due to the country’s catastrophic BSE outbreak.

Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said last month that the two countries were close to resolving the import dispute ahead of any decision from a World Trade Organization panel on the issue.

Canada is the world’s third-biggest beef shipper and South Korea was its No. 4 market in 2002 prior to the ban.

Last year South Korea imported a combined of 261,159 metric tons of frozen and chilled beef, and of the total, 53 percent came from Australia and 32 percent from the United States.

European Union
In mid-2009 a treaty between the United States and the European Union defused the tension over beef from cattle raised with growth promotants.

In exchange for the U.S. commitment to eliminate retaliatory tariffs on imports of certain EU products, the EU agreed for the first time to create a duty-free 20,000 metric ton (MT) quota for imports of high-quality beef.

John Brook, U.S. Meat Export Federation regional director for Europe, Russia and the Middle East, calls the results particularly impressive because they come at a time when consumption of medium-quality, domestically raised beef is sharply declining in Europe.

With the U.S. export volume approaching 16,500 metric tons (MT), Australia shipping roughly 3,000 MT, and Canada adding small volumes, the 20,000 MT quota will be nearly met this year.

Although this is positive news in terms of trade activity, Brook says it illustrates the urgency of negotiating an expansion of the duty-free quota to allow for further growth.

Additional exports of high-quality beef to Europe are possible outside of the duty-free quota, but very difficult to achieve in the current economic climate, he added.

Brook said the filling of the quota is good news in terms of trade activity, but creates urgency for negotiating an expanded quota.

“The duty-free quota of 20,000 tons as it has been more or less fully subscribed to from the U.S., plus some beef from Australia and a little bit from Canada, will effectively put a ceiling on further growth in the near future,” Brook said. “And now the main objective is to get that quota increased to 45,000 tons.” 

Clint Peck is the owner of Global Beef Systems LLC. Reach him at cpeck_99@yahoo.com