DECEMBER 14, 2023:
As part of their continued efforts to support American producers and consumers, U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) announced that they will file a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would overturn the Biden administration’s decision to allow beef imports from Paraguay.
“The Biden administration’s decision to allow beef imports from a country with a history of foot and mouth disease is a mistake that impacts South Dakota producers and consumers,” said Rounds. “Our producers work tirelessly to produce the safest, highest quality and most affordable beef in the world. Our consumers should be able to confidently feed their families beef that has met the rigorous standards required in the United States. I am proud to partner with Senator Tester to overturn this Biden administration rule that would allow beef imports from Paraguay.”
“The Biden Administration has this one backwards – resuming beef imports from a country with a recent history of foot and mouth disease is bad news for both Montana consumers and producers,” said Tester. “Montana ranchers work hard to produce the best quality beef in the world, and it’s clear that the USDA doesn’t have the data to show that Paraguay meets the same animal health standards. I’m willing to take this fight to the Senate floor because it’s clear that bureaucrats in Washington are endangering our food supply while giving a raw deal to American ranchers and consumers.”
Earlier this month (Dec. 6, 2023), Rounds and Tester introduced bipartisan legislation to suspend beef imports from Paraguay in response to animal health concerns. The senators have called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to collect more up-to-date data before resuming beef imports from a country like Paraguay with a recent history of foot and mouth disease. Paraguay last reported cases of foot and mouth disease in 2012. The USDA’s decision to resume Paraguayan imports relies on an analysis completed in 2018, and American inspectors have not conducted a site visit to Paraguay since 2014.
In addition to suspending beef imports from Paraguay, the bill would also require the establishment of a working group to evaluate the threat to food safety and animal health posed by Paraguayan beef.
The bipartisan legislation is supported by R-CALF USA, United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
Rounds and Tester have led the charge to support American family farmers and ranchers. In February, the senators also introduced bipartisan legislation to suspend Brazilian beef imports to the United States until experts can conduct a systemic review of the commodity’s impact on food safety and animal health.
DECEMBER 6, 2023:
U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced bipartisan legislation (Dec. 6, 2023) to suspend beef imports from Paraguay. The senators’ bill would also require the establishment of a working group to evaluate the threat to food safety and animal health posed by Paraguayan beef. This comes after the Biden administration recently lifted a long-standing ban on Paraguayan beef imports.
“South Dakota ranch families work tirelessly to produce the safest, highest quality and most affordable beef in the world,” said Rounds. “Paraguay has historically struggled to contain outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. Unfortunately, the Biden administration has prioritized diplomatic initiatives in the region over the interests of the American cattle industry. This poses a significant threat to not only our producers, but our consumers as well. Consumers should be able to confidently feed their families beef that has met the rigorous standards required in the United States. I am pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation that prioritizes the well-being of American producers and consumers.”
“I drove more than 50 miles one-way from my farm this past weekend to butcher a cow because Montana ranchers produce the best beef in the world and work tirelessly to ensure their livestock are safe,” said Tester. “Paraguay has failed to meet the standard put forward by Montana ranchers. That’s why I’m leading bipartisan legislation to stand up to the Biden Administration and block beef imports from Paraguay until we have good, reliable data to show they can meet these same high standards as American ranchers.”
This legislation is supported by R-CALF USA, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
“We applaud Senator Rounds and Senator Tester for introducing this bill to protect both American livestock and American citizens,” said Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA. “By requiring a timely and thorough evaluation of potential risks to disease introduction and food safety associated with importing fresh and frozen beef from Paraguay, the bill will ensure that America’s food supply remains safe and it’s cattle herd remains healthy.”
“The U.S. cattle industry has been absolutely clear on the immediate need to halt the importation of beef from countries such as Paraguay and Brazil,” said Justin Tupper, President of U.S. Cattlemen’s Association. “There are numerous reasons to take action, including the threat to the health of the domestic cattle herd, the associated food safety risks due to government corruption within these nations, the deforestation of critical ecosystems to support industry in these countries, and the use of forced labor practices. Senators Rounds and Tester continue to demand accountability and transparency from countries like Paraguay and Brazil. USCA strongly urges other Members of Congress to support these efforts and join the call for the immediate half of Paraguayan and Brazilian beef imports.”
“The United States has the highest food safety and animal health standards in the world, and any country who wishes to trade with the United States must demonstrate that they can meet those standards,” said Ethan Lane, Vice President of Government Affairs of NCBA. “Paraguay’s long history of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks and the lack of recent site visits, makes importing beef from Paraguay too risky. All our trade partners need to have inspection systems that can clearly provide an equivalent level of safety for animal health to prevent a possible foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the United States. Cattle producers thank Senators Mike Rounds and Jon Tester for introducing legislation to help protect consumers and cattle from foreign animal disease.”
Click HERE for full bill text.
NOVEMBER 14, 2023:
USDA’s decision to accept beef imports from Paraguay for the first time in 25 years will likely not change the overall volume of U.S. imports, even during tight supplies and high prices. U.S. meat importers tell Reuters that’s due to a quota on shipments.
American beef prices set records this year because of herd contraction to its smallest level in decades. As a result, meat companies are relying on more imports to process enough ground beef to meet demand. Paraguay didn’t negotiate with the U.S. to sell beef under its own quota agreement. That means it has to compete with other countries in the same situation to fill a group tariff-rate quota. The quota for these countries, including Brazil, Ireland, Japan, and Namibia, is approximately 650,000 metric tons. Suppliers already filled that quota earlier this year. Suppliers face a steep 26 percent tax on the value of products shipped above the quota.
MAY 31, 2023:
The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association has written strong opposition to a proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) to allow the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) beef from Paraguay.
In its comments this week (May 30, 2023), USCA cited several reasons why it opposes the proposed rule, including the need to protect the health of the domestic cattle herd, the estimated U.S. producer market losses, and the lower standards of production in Paraguay.
Specifically, the Regulatory Impact Analysis that accompanied the proposed rule estimated that U.S. producers would suffer losses of $12 million to $23 million each year due to the increase of Paraguayan beef imports.
The risk analysis also fully admits that “…a vaccinated herd may not mean all the animals in the herd are FMD free. This may result in beef from an infected animal being imported.”
USCA president Justin Tupper issued the following statement:
“The nearly ten-year gap since the last visit of USDA APHIS staff to Paraguay does not inspire conference in the strength of the country’s animal health and food safety protocols.
“The U.S. has been FMD-free since 1929. An outbreak of the disease in the U.S. would devastate the U.S. cattle and beef industry and significantly strain the nation’s food supply. Opening our borders to risky trade is a gamble I’m not willing to bet on. USCA requests the immediate recission of this proposed rule for all the reasons outlined in our written comments.”
MARCH 29, 2023:
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to continue blocking Paraguay from importing beef to the U.S. in response to USDA releasing a proposed rule that would grant access to Paraguayan beef imports.
“USDA’s proposed rule to allow Paraguayan beef imports into the U.S. is based on 9-year-old data and site visits that occurred in 2008 and 2014. Paraguay has a history of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and we cannot jeopardize the safety of U.S. consumers and the health of our U.S. cattle herd with outdated information,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus. “The United States has the highest animal health and food safety standards in the world because we rely on the most up-to-date information and the highest science-based standards. USDA should not proceed with this application until a thorough review can be conducted with current information that demonstrates Paraguay’s equivalence in animal health and food safety standards.”
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