U.S. and Brazil Reach Beef Agreement

The U.S. and Brazil have agreed to allow access to each other's beef markets after more than a decade of negotiations. Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply has agreed to imports of U.S. beef for the first time in 13 years the USDA announced Monday.

And the U.S. will accept Brazilian beef for the first time since 1999. The Food Safety and Inspection Service determined that Brazil's food safety system governing meat products remains equivalent to that of the United States and that fresh (chilled or frozen) beef can be safely imported from Brazil,” again according to the USDA. That decision angered the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.President Tracy Brunner has expressed concern that not enough precautions are in place to protect US herds against diseases like foot-and-mouth.

WSJ reports that the Trans- Pacific Partnership trade agreement supported by many ag organizations but not by either presidential candidate is unlikely to pass in either a lame duck or new administration.