NCBA Attends Five Nations Beef Conference

NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud, NCBA President and Texas cattle producer Jim McAdams and Iowa cattle producer and former NCBA President Wythe Willey were in Alberta, Canada July 11-15 for the Five Nations Beef Conference.  They joined cattle producer associations from New Zealand (Meat & Wool New Zealand), Mexico (Confederacion Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas), Canada (Canadian Cattlemen’s Association) and Australia (Cattle Council of Australia) to discuss key industry issues such as animal ID and international standardization and harmonization of animal health and trade standards.  Following these in-depth trade policy discussions, the group agreed to continue to support further market liberalization for beef including:

•     Working together to expand participation in the World Trade Organization to include those countries willing to adopt WTO rules;

•     Pursuing significant trade reform to provide meaningful access to the large and growing EU market;

•     Pursuing elimination of all in-quota duties/tariffs;

•     Pursuing maximum possible expansion of quotas and reduction in tariffs;

•     Seeking clear and binding rules on the administration of tariff rate quotas;