The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced on Thursday the signing of an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between the United States and Taiwan. As detailed in this USTR fact sheet, the agreement includes significant market access gains for U.S. red meat.
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom issued this statement:
USMEF greatly appreciates USTR’s dedication to resolving Taiwan’s tariff and non-tariff barriers on U.S. red meat through the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. Taiwan is the fifth largest market for U.S. beef, with exports valued at about $650 million, and the U.S. is the largest supplier of beef to Taiwan. But there is still potential for further growth with the increased access for all U.S. beef products, including those in high demand for yakiniku barbecue and trendy burger concepts. The elimination of tariffs on U.S. beef will definitely improve our competitiveness.
U.S. pork has been widely disadvantaged in Taiwan, and the EU and Canada dominate Taiwan’s pork imports. USMEF is optimistic that reducing both tariffs and non-tariff barriers will help enable larger U.S. pork exports to Taiwan, as USMEF remains focused on regaining Taiwanese consumer trust in U.S. pork. The agreement also includes important language clarifying access for U.S. bison, and eliminates tariffs on U.S. lamb.
USMEF thanks the Trump administration for the continued focus on breaking down barriers for U.S. agricultural exports and we look forward to the successful implementation of the Taiwan agreement.
