USMEF welcomes US-EU trade framework
The White House released a fact sheet outlining key aspects of the trade deal. Following this, USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom issued a statement.
"USMEF thanks the Trump administration for prioritizing agricultural market access in negotiations with the EU and with other key trading partners", Halstrom stated. "We are pleased to see that the U.S. and EU intend to work together to address non-tariff barriers inhibiting agricultural trade".
Despite this positive step, USMEF highlighted the current trade imbalance. The U.S. remains a net importer of red meat from the EU, largely due to extensive EU import barriers. In 2024, EU imports of U.S. red meat totaled a mere $245 million, primarily beef. In stark contrast, the U.S. imported a substantial $698 million worth of red meat from the EU, consisting mostly of pork. This disparity underscores the critical need to address existing EU trade restrictions to facilitate U.S. export growth.
A major point of relief for the industry is the aversion of retaliatory duties the EU was slated to impose next week. These duties, set to begin on August 7, included a sudden 30% tariff that would have severely impacted U.S. beef exports. Halstrom noted that meeting the EU's stringent requirements is a "longtime commitment" and one of "the most expensive programs for U.S. producers and processers," making such a tariff "devastating to the U.S. industry and to European importers and customers". While U.S. pork was also targeted by the proposed duties, current U.S. pork exports to the EU are already minimal due to existing tariff and non-tariff barriers.
USMEF anticipates further collaboration between the U.S. and EU to dismantle these persistent trade obstacles, paving the way for a more equitable and robust agricultural trade relationship.
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