Daily News Update, Dec. 5, 2007
Senate approves Peru
Trade Agreement
In
a positive move for global trade and U.S. agriculture, the U.S. Senate
overwhelmingly approved the Peru Trade Promotion
Agreement Dec. 4 by a vote of 77 to
18.
With beef production comprising less than 8
percent of
Peru's total agriculture gross domestic product,
Peru could be an outstanding export market for
U.S.
beef. For
U.S.
cattle producers, the improved access provided in this agreement could
amount to roughly $15 million per year.
"Under this agreement,
Peru will immediately eliminate
duties on high-quality beef and provide duty-free tariff rate quotas on
standard beef cuts," says Stacey Satterlee, director of legislative
affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Other key components of this agreement
are
Peru's implementation of measures consistent with
OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) import measures for beef, and
Peru's agreement to
recognize the equivalence of the
U.S.
beef inspection systems.
Peru has
also committed in writing to specific Sanitary and Phytosanitary terms (SPS).
President Bush, a staunch supporter of
the
Peru agreement, will likely waste no
time in signing the agreement. Focus now turns to trade agreements with
Colombia and
Panama,
currently awaiting Congressional consideration.
Like the
Peru free trade agreement, deals with
Colombia and
Panama allow for duty-free
treatment of high-quality
U.S.
beef on day one of implementation. Both
Colombia and
Panama have put in place
import measures consistent with OIE guidelines and have agreed to
recognize the
U.S.
beef inspection system as equivalent. These agreements have also broken
down pre-existing SPS and
technical barriers.
"NCBA's
cattle-producing members need Congress to step up and pass the
Colombia and
Panama deals so the
U.S. agricultural sector
can begin reaping the benefits of these well-negotiated agreements,"
says Satterlee. "The best way for
America's
farmers and ranchers to achieve prosperity is for Congress to support
expanding trade within the global marketplace."
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