Argentina lifts ban on beef exports

Marts: Under a new agreement between the Argentinian Government and the country’s meat industry, the ban on beef exports is to be eased to permit exports of prime and forequarter beef.

Since March, a government resolution has been in place in Argentine banning the majority of beef exports, with minor exceptions for some volume of Hilton beef being sold into the EU. The purpose of the ban was to curb rising inflation in Argentina. Domestic beef prices have increased 165% over the past four years and the rise in cost of domestic meat supply has been held as one of the underlying causes of higher inflation.

A revision of the policy has now been agreed between the meat industry and the Ministry of Economics to permit an increase in the vole of beef exported. The meat industry has agreed to supply the domestic market with 180,000 tonnes per month at a fixed price, in return for which they are being allowed to increase exports. The agreement is expected to be fully in place by the end of this month, permitting exports of almost 90,000 tonnes of prime quality beef and forequarters.