Groups Celebrate First U.S. Beef to China

In a historic ceremony on Friday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association helped welcome the first shipments of American-produced beef into China since 2003. NCBA President Craig Uden joined Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue, U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad, and Chinese officials at the ceremony in Beijing. The highlight came when Uden and Perdue participated in a “joint cutting of the prime rib.” Uden said restoring American beef access to China has been a top priority for many years. “We are excited to have the opportunity to provide Chinese consumers with safe, tender, and delicious beef once again,” said Uden. NCBA efforts to help restore access to the Chinese market finally paid off this year as U.S. and Chinese negotiators reached an agreement to break the 14-year stalemate. Uden said getting access to the world’s largest market is a step in the right direction. “We still have a lot of work to do, including negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with Japan that puts us on an even ground with competitors,” Uden says, “while also ensuring the NAFTA negotiations don’t mess up the great deal we’ve had with consumers in Canada and Mexico for years."