(left to right) Joe Schuele, USMEF senior VP for communications, moderates a staff panel discussion on current trade challenges featuring Jihae Yang, VP for the Asia Pacific, Gerardo Rodriguez, director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic, and Latin American Representative Homero Recio (USMEF photo)
The U.S. Meat Export Federation concluded its Spring Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday with a panel discussion in which senior international staff gave examples of innovative efforts to overcome trade challenges.
Jihae Yang, USMEF vice president for the Asia Pacific, noted that with high tariffs and other barriers severely limiting pork and beef exports to China, the organization has intensified campaigns aimed at moving items traditionally popular in China to alternative markets.
Gerardo Rodriguez, USMEF director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic, explained that while Mexico has been developed into the largest destination for U.S. red meat, the U.S. industry now faces unprecedented levels of competition in the Mexican market. He noted that it is more important than ever to differentiate U.S. red meat from other suppliers’ products and educate consumers about its unique attributes.
Heightened U.S.-China trade tensions, which have severely limited beef and pork exports to China in recent weeks, were a major topic of discussion throughout the USMEF Spring Conference. But President and CEO Dan Halstrom noted that rather than dwell on trade obstacles, the conversation focused mostly on how to develop and capitalize on alternative destinations.
“USMEF’s focus is on bringing solutions to the table,” Halstrom said.
USMEF news release
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