WASHINGTON – The Meat Institute submitted comments to the US Trade Representative (USTR) for the 2025 National Trade Estimate Report.

The trade association called for an ambitious and comprehensive trade policy agenda that would be paired with removing tariff and non-tariff barriers to promote the growth and stability of the meat and poultry industry. 

“The resilience of the US meat and poultry industry is inextricably linked to US trade policy and attendant initiatives that foster US meat and poultry export growth,” said Julie Anna Potts, president and chief executive officer for the Meat Institute. “However, the industry’s export potential remains limited by unjustified sanitary barriers, prohibitive tariffs and tariff rate quotas, and onerous registration and approval requirements for exporting facilities, among other impediments.”

The essential point that the Meat Institute wants the federal government to highlight would be China’s continuing to renege on commitments made during the US-China Phase One Agreement. The association stated that retaliatory tariffs remain on US meat exports to China and must be discontinued.

“The Meat Institute recognizes the diversity of industries and sectors that are impacted by China’s specious policies and understands the US government’s interest in addressing those legitimate concerns,” the trade association wrote. “However, we continue to respectfully encourage USTR to work to remove these tariffs, the brunt of which has been borne disproportionately by the US agricultural sector and meat and poultry industry.”

Meat Institute also wants USTR to remain proactive in addressing foreign animal diseases, which is integral to preserving trade and business continuity.

Another key priority listed by the Meat Institute was securing more beef access to Australia.

A vital market that continues to garner attention from US meat companies is the removal of restrictions on beef and other emerging concerns to fully implement KORUS (US-Korea Free Trade Agreement). An update to the agreement was revised in 2018.

“This level of growth, combined with the significant share of the Korean market the US meat industry now commands, would not have been possible absent KORUS, especially because all major red meat competitors, including Australia and Canada, have free trade agreements with Korea,” Meat Institute wrote. “Beyond tariff relief, KORUS established strong, science-based trade measures that further contributed to the proliferation of US meat exports to Korea. The agreement established a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee to enhance cooperation and consultation on SPS matters.”

Another geographic area that US beef and pork exports continue to push is more access to Taiwan. 

Some final details Meat Institute underscored were increased establishment registration requirements that might risk undermining market access for US meat and poultry exports.

The trade association also discussed the importance of some beef imports, particularly from Canada and Mexico, and how they support domestic production by easing supply chain pressure.

Other trade areas to watch include the protection of common meat names, which the USTR approved earlier in 2024 with shipments of meat and cheeses to Chile. 

Lastly, the Meat Institute emphasized market diversification as an important aspect of a comprehensive trade policy that benefits US meat and poultry exporters.

“As competitors rapidly expand access through preferential trade agreements to growing and mature markets, the Meat Institute maintains that targeted efforts to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers in key markets must be paired with an ambitious trade policy agenda that advances comprehensive trade agreements, which level the playing field for our exports, set clear standards and rules for trade, and provide predictability for American farmers, ranchers, and meat and poultry companies throughout the supply chain,” Potts concluded.