EU Signals it’s ready for Trade Talks with U.S

Feb 05, 2013

EU Removes Restrictions on Some U.S. Meat, Hoping to Start Trade Talks

The European Union (EU) lifted its ban on some U.S meat imports in a gesture to start trade negotiation. The trade talks would account for a third of global trade, if the deal reaches maturity.

The EU dropped the import ban on live pigs and beef washed in lactic acid, as a signal that it’s ready to begin talks on trade. The lifted ban will come into effect Feb. 2013. There is also word that EU may also consider easing restrictions on imports of U.S animal fat, which is used in biofuels.

"The United States had certain preconditions for talks to start. We want to show them that Europe can deliver," said a senior EU diplomat involved in preparing for negotiations.

Despite this effort, the U.S hasn’t publically said if this gesture is enough to pave the way for U.S-EU trade talks to begin.

Currently, import tariffs between the two countries are low. However, the real benefit of a trade deal would be the access to each other’s markets, which would ultimately remove the high costs to smaller companies wishing to export.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.