Wallaces Farmer

Beef exports, tariffs and other marketing issues will be discussed at upcoming ICA listening sessions.

October 14, 2019

2 Min Read
cattle in a feedyard
REDUCED TARIFFS: The U.S. and Japan made another step toward a bilateral trade agreement in late September that is expected to greatly benefit the U.S. cattle industry.

The Iowa Cattlemen's Association has scheduled a series of meetings where cattle producers can voice their concerns and solutions related to fed cattle marketing.

ICA has been dedicated to improving market conditions for Iowa’s independent cattle producers long before the recent fire at the Tyson beef cattle processing plant in Holcomb, Kan. However, recent market conditions have added more urgency to the situation, and ICA’s volunteer leaders are actively searching for solutions to the market problems faced by producers in the upper Midwest.

The ICA’s feedlot council has been working on specific policy proposals, and invites cattle producers to attend one of the upcoming ICA cattle marketing listening sessions.

Each meeting will include a history of ICA's policy initiatives related to cattle marketing and an open forum to discuss new ideas with staff, feedlot council members and board members. Members who are unable to attend one of the five meetings will be given an opportunity to voice their opinion through other avenues.

Meeting dates and locations:

  • Oct. 15, 7 p.m., Ames; Iowa Cattlemen's Association headquarters

  • Oct. 17, 7 p.m., Atlantic; Cass County Community Center

  • Oct. 23, 10 a.m., Maquoketa; Johnson Family Farms, 101 300th Ave.

  • Oct. 23, 7 p.m., Osage; Knights of Columbus Hall

  • Oct. 28, 7 p.m., Sioux Center; Kooima, Kooima & Varilek office

President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Abe of Japan made another step toward a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to greatly benefit the U.S. cattle industry. The agreement signed in late September will include significant tariff reductions for U.S. beef imported into Japan.

“This bilateral trade agreement with Japan is significant for two reasons. First, Japan is our No. 1 export market by value, and the Japanese are hungry for U.S. beef,” says Matt Deppe, CEO of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association. “Second, a positive advancement on the trade front is good news for all of Iowa agriculture. Hopefully, this momentum will carry forward to the ratification of USMCA and trade talks with China.”

International trade adds over $300 to the value of every head of cattle in the state of Iowa, and about one-quarter of that value is due to exports to Japan. Currently, U.S. beef faces a 38.5% tariff, while competitors from other countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada have a tariff rate of only 26.6%.

“Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, together with NCBA, will continue to lobby for increased export opportunities for U.S. beef,” Deppe says.

Source: ICA, which is responsible for information provided and is wholly owned by source. Informa Business Media and subsidiaries aren’t responsible for content in this information asset.

 

 

 

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