Beef Producers, Exports Hurt by Stalled BSE Rule

It’s generally agreed upon that exports are the key to increasing demand for U.S. beef products.  Unfortunately, our own government is hindering progress in opening new markets for these products.

A comprehensive rule for beef imports that would make the United States compliant with international trade standards set by the World Organization for Animal Health has been caught in the federal bureaucracy for several years.  So, I led a bipartisan group of 31 senators in pressing the Office of Management and Budget to release a final comprehensive rule as soon as possible and help put U.S. trade negotiators on a level playing field.

As it stands, the lack of a comprehensive rule for beef imports – referred to as a BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) rule – puts our trade negotiators at a disadvantage when negotiating with other countries.  A number of countries have placed non-science-based restrictions on U.S. beef imports.  For instance, some countries don’t allow U.S. beef over 30 months old into their country.  Some of these nations use the fact that the United States has not formally adopted a comprehensive rule to justify their own unfair trade barriers.

By having a comprehensive BSE rule in place, the United States will show leadership on a global scale and give the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Agriculture a stronger position to press other nations to follow the World Organization for Animal Health’s guidelines and adopt science-based BSE policies.  As a result, when nations base their decisions on sound science, we are confident more markets will be expanded or opened to U.S. beef.

It’s time the United States shows leadership and gives our international trade negotiators a stronger footing for dealing with beef issues.

February 20, 2012