In a historic ceremony today, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) helped formally welcome the first shipments of American-produced beef into China since 2003.
NCBA President Craig Uden joined U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, and Chinese officials at the ceremony in China's capital of Beijing. The highlight of the event came when Uden and Perdue participated in a joint ceremonial "Cutting of the Prime Rib."
"Restoring U.S. beef access to China has been a top priority for many years, and we are excited to have the opportunity to provide Chinese consumers with safe, tender, and delicious U.S. beef once again," Uden said at the ceremony.
Long a supporter of international trade and greater access to foreign markets, NCBA has worked since 2003 to help restore access to China's more than 1.3 billion consumers for America's cattle and beef producers. Those efforts finally bore fruit earlier this year, when the Trump Administration announced that U.S. and Chinese negotiators had reached agreement on the final protocols that would break the nearly 14-year logjam.
The appetite for American beef has grown tremendously in Asia in recent years, with Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong rapidly becoming three of the world's top five importers of American-produced beef. NCBA said it will continue to fight for greater and fairer access to foreign markets for American producers.
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