Concern at rising import tariffs

THE effect of rising import tariffs in the main 2011 export market for European beef is being closely watched by the industry.

Beef and live exports to Turkey for the first four months of 2011 totalled 73,400 tonnes of carcase equivalent. This has lifted the EU beef trade in general, since exports grew rapidly after Turkey lowered beef import tariffs last October.

At the beginning of 2011, tariffs were about 30%, but increases of 15% in March, May and July have raised tariffs to 75% — still considerably lower than the levels before last October.