China Needs to Improve Market Access

While U.S. beef trade with China has increased sharply since China joined the World Trade Organization, trade impediments still hamper the full development and potential of that market.  Jim Peterson, chairman of the beef industry's joint International Markets Committee, Sept. 18 made those remarks to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.  The office was seeking public comment on trade with China in advance of an upcoming public hearing. 

Peterson urged the administration to continue pushing the Chinese government for increased transparency and openness in trade with China. 

Peterson acknowledged that U.S. beef and beef variety meat exports there were up 37.2 percent in tonnage and 27.9 percent in value for the first six months of the year.  He also referenced a June 20 letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick outlining concerns about trade with China, issues that have yet to be resolved.  Those included bureaucratic measures that slow trade, such as ones that have affected poultry products.  This affects cattlemen because every pound of poultry that can’t be exported ends up on the domestic market, further pressuring prices for other proteins.