The beef industry in the United States is going strong, but that’s because beef produced in this country is delivered to people not only within our borders, but beyond them. In fact, it’s estimated that as much as 1/3 of the beef produced in the USA is exported to Mexico each and every year. Unfortunately, the amount of beef that is exported to Mexico has been steadily declining since 2004, while Mexico has become a major player in the beef industry itself.
For a time people have wondered if the dynamic would reverse, and we’d be seeing less and less beef sent to Mexico while receiving more beef from them. Fortunately, the lifting of certain trade restrictions in the U.S. should get the amount of exports to Mexico at a high rate. Specifically, the United States Department of Agriculture has dropped a restriction that prevented exporting beef from older cattle to Mexico. Since 2004, beef from cattle that was older than 30 months could not be sent to Mexico. Today, that’s no longer the case.
Many experts within the industry believe that this extended ban was to allow Mexico to expand their own industry, rather than due to any legitimate reasons concerning the safety of beef from older cattle. Overall, the lifting of this trade restriction is being seen as a positive sign of things to come, with hopes that trade with Mexico and other countries will only get easier.
What do you think about the end of these trade restrictions? Do you think it will prove beneficial to the US beef industry? Let us know and keep checking back for more news!
