Business, Freight News

US Secures Full Access for US Beef and Beef Products to Peru

[ April 1, 2016   //   Gary G Burrows ]

The US has reached agreement with Peru to remove barriers for US beef exports to Peru that have remained in effect since 2003, opening one of the fastest growing markets in Latin America to all American beef and beef products. In 2015, the United States exported $25.4 million in beef and beef products to Peru.
Since the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) entered into force in 2009, US beef and beef products have grown substantially but have been hampered due to burdensome certification requirements installed by Peru in 2003.
The agreement was reached in late March during Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s trade and investment mission to Peru. The agreement removes those barriers – called the export verification program – and assures American ranchers of expanded market access.
Bilateral trade of agricultural, fish, and forestry products between the United States and Peru topped $3 billion in 2015 and has grown more than 110 percent since 2009.
The agreement reflects the United States’ negligible risk classification for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Through an exchange of letters, the United States and Peru have agreed to changes in certification statements that will allow beef and beef products from all federally-inspected US establishments to be eligible for export to Peru, rather than only those beef and beef products from establishments that participated in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Export Verification (EV) programs under the previous certification requirements.

Tags: US Beef