News

USMEF focuses on growing meat export demand amid trade challenges

The head of the US Meat Export Federation says the organization remains focused on growing export demand.

President and CEO Dan Halstrom says defending the current free trade agreements and increasing demand in those countries is crucial.  “The best examples are Canada and Mexico, USMCA countries,” he says.  “If you add up the current country mix, more than 70 percent of our FTA countries.”  Halstrom says demand has increased 31 percent in countries where the U.S. currently has FTAs.

He tells Brownfield China matters and to capitalize on the demand opportunities, it’s important for the ag industry to be flexible. “The thing that is consistent, is that China is inconsistent, right,” he says.  “It’s very volatile.  But make no mistake, if you ask me what is the number one opportunity we have today to increase value in beef and pork, it’s China.”

“But, our strategy is not to sit here and wait on them,” he says. “Our strategy is to assume that it’s going to continue like this. We keep pushing and we switch when they do become available.

One of the barriers that has prevented U.S. beef from being exported into China is the fact that more than 400 facilities are delisted in the country’s cipher system.  Halstrom says he doesn’t expect China to relist the facilities and reopen to imports of U.S. beef before the middle of 2026.

AUDIO: Dan Halstrom, U.S. Meat Export Federation