Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) met in Washington, D.C. to recognize valuable market access achievements for several longstanding issues for both the United States and Peru, including American fresh and chilled pork, rough and brown rice, live cattle, and beef, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced.
This success is the culmination of many years of hard work between the U.S. and Peru’s technical agencies.
On April 10th, Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the expanded access to consumer markets in Peru for U.S. fresh and chilled pork, a market that could generate $5 million annually in additional pork sales.
Peru is providing market access for U.S. rough and brown rice. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is also finalizing technical discussions to gain market access for U.S. live cattle and U.S. beef, and look forward to working with Peru to ensure safe global trade based on sound science.
Both Peruvian Minister Juan Manuel Benites Ramos and USDA Under Secretary Ed Avalos recognize the strong relationship between the Peru and United States’ governments has been enhanced by the U.S. – Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, effective on February 1, 2009.
Also, combatting trade barriers is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which both Peru and the United States are strong advocates, supporting market access for our respective domestic products based on sound science.
USDA continues its efforts to eliminate all remaining trade barriers to U.S. cattle and cattle products stemming from past detections of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service continues to work with its trading partners to ensure any unnecessary requirements for U.S. origin beef are eliminated.
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) considers the United States to have negligible risk for BSE. This is OIE's lowest risk category for this disease.
USDA continuously seeks opportunities for U.S. agricultural products and producers to expand access to overseas markets and contribute to a positive U.S. trade balance, to create jobs and to support economic growth.
The past six years have represented the strongest period for American agricultural exports in the history of our country. In fiscal year 2014 American farmers and ranchers exported a record $152.5 billion of food and agricultural products to consumers worldwide.
Both, the United States and Peru are supporters of the international marketplace and are always seeking opportunities for furthering our trade relationship, while protecting our domestic agriculture.