On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the United States might want to end cattle imports.
The comments were made during a press conference to roll out the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. He then went on to suggest allies would be excluded.
The United States imports the majority of live cattle from Canada and Mexico.
In response, the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA) released the following statement:
“The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), along with our North American counterparts, is fully committed to continue enhancing the strength of the North American beef industry under the newly negotiated and soon-to-be implemented United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which maintains open and duty-free trade,” notes CCA President, Bob Lowe. “There is no doubt that we have an integral trade relationship with the United States – we are excellent trade partners – in fact, we have the largest two-way beef trade in the world, and it continues to be mutually beneficial.”
Canadian and American beef producers alike depend on reliable trade partners to attain the highest value for their products, whether it is beef or cattle.
“For us in the beef industry, we must be able to get each cut of meat to the consumer who is willing to pay top dollar for it,” continued Lowe. “Exporting the cuts of meats that aren’t as valued in Canada as they are in other parts of the world generates an additional $600 CDN/per animal for our beef producers, that’s the importance of trade.”
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