The European Union (EU) late last week agreed to allow negotiations with the U.S. to increase imports of U.S. beef to the EU.
The move could help ease some transatlantic trade tensions, according to Reuters, which reports the EU says “finding a mutually beneficial solution to our longstanding dispute over beef would be a major step forward in improving” trade cooperation.
The European Commission, which negotiates on behalf of the 28 EU nations, said it would open formal talks in the coming days on increasing the U.S. share of an existing 45,000-metric ton quota. However, the EU limits beef imports to beef that has not been treated with certain growth hormones.
Further, beef is not part of the U.S. and EU trade talks formally announced last week to improve trade relations and remove tariffs. However, U.S. agriculture officials and the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office maintains that agriculture, in general, will be a part of those talks.
Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.