Farmers critical of increase in imports of beef from US

THE EU has agreed to increase imports of non-hormone beef from the US, avoiding fresh sanctions from the Americans, but without any reciprocal moves from the Americans.

The agreement, the first sign of movement in a 20-year-old row between Europe and the US, has been criticised by the Irish Farmers’ Association.

They said that the US markets should be opened to Irish and EU beef, that all US beef must contain strictly no growth hormones or have had microbial treatment and meet full EU traceability standards.

Similar issues gave rise to the ban on Brazilian beef imports, led by the Irish farm lobby and still largely in force.

“The bottom line must be that all beef presented to European consumers must meet EU standards,” said IFA president Padraig Walshe.

Presently just about 5,000 tonnes of duty free US beef from herds not treated with growth hormones comes into the EU. The deal reached is for an additional 20,000 tonnes in the first three years.

A European Commission spokesperson said they did not expect the quantity would have a destabilising impact on the Union’s beef market.

Under import agreements the US would be responsible for respecting the EU’s traceability rules and ensure the beef is hormone free.

Teagasc economist Liam Dunne said the agreement meant the US had conceded on the principle of hormone beef. But he said it could raise issues of traceability as the US does not have a similar system, and there could also be questions over how free from hormones the beef is.

The US won a case against the EU at the World Trade Organisation that would have seen it impose import tariffs on a new list of European goods. Under the deal, existing sanctions will be eliminated in four years, and in the meantime they will try to conclude a long-term agreement.