By Sanjana Dubey, Office of Public and Media Affairs
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, met with a delegation from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) this afternoon to discuss agricultural trade issues. The NCBA delegation included approximately 25 members from across the United States who engaged with Ambassador Siddiqui in a dialogue about bilateral beef trade with China, Japan, and Russia, as well as updates on agricultural issues under the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
Ambassador Siddiqui speaks with members of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
During the discussion, Ambassador Siddiqui emphasized USTR’s progress towards increasing global market access for U.S. agricultural products, and its efforts to eliminate trade barriers inconsistent with scientific standards for American beef products. He also highlighted the growth of U.S. beef exports, and exciting prospects for more agricultural trade with new trading partners.
The NCBA delegation was briefed on developments related to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, including new potential opportunities in beef markets should Japan enter the negotiation. Ambassador Siddiqui also recommended that the members of the NCBA provide input on the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement by commenting on USTR’s April 1 Federal Register notice.
Ensuring global market access for U.S. beef products remains a high priority for USTR. U.S. beef exports totaled $5.5 billion in 2012, and the beef industry supports a significant number of American jobs. To learn more about beef and other agricultural exports, please click here.
