USMEF elects officers, examines reciprocal trade opportunities and USMCA review
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) concluded its Strategic Planning Conference on Nov. 14 with election of its new officers.
New officers elected
Chairing USMEF for the 2025-26 term is Jay Theiler, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Agri Beef Company based in Boise, Idaho.
Theiler recalled his early days with Agri Beef, when the company came to realize it could not maximize the value of each head of livestock processed by selling product only in the Pacific Northwest or even in the entire U.S.
“To get maximum value, we had to go to the international markets and include them in our sales,” Theiler said. “I did a lot of overseas trips in the early 2000s and many subsequent trips which laid the foundation for our success. When we traveled to Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, we would meet with USMEF staff, who would paint a landscape of the distributors in the market and help us set up appointments and meetings.”
“USMEF was really an integral part of our company story and our brand story, and I say this today because it may serve as an inspiration for others on how to grow their business and how USMEF can help,” he added.
Looking forward, Theiler said differentiating the quality of U.S. red meat is essential to continued expansion of the global customer base.
“The world doesn’t just buy U.S. meat because it’s available – they buy it because it’s exceptional,” he said. “Our U.S. red meat brand means something. It is the gold standard for quality, taste, safety, sustainability and reliability.”
“Our beef, pork and lamb is sought out as incomes around the world grow, but we can’t take this for granted and we must continue to invest in international marketing, especially as our global competitors increase their quality and aim to compete with us,” he continued.
While emphasizing the need to diversify export destinations, Theiler also noted the importance of defending hard-earned market share with established trading partners.
“We cannot take our long-standing partners for granted,” Theiler said. “Markets like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico are vital and have been reliable trading partners for decades. We must continue to protect and strengthen those relationships, and we must keep earning their confidence and trust.”
Theiler succeeds Steve Hanson, a rancher and cattle feeder from southwestern Nebraska, as USMEF chair.
The USMEF chair-elect for the coming year is Dave Bruntz, who raises corn and soybeans and feeds cattle in southeastern Nebraska. Bruntz is a past president of the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Cattlemen.
The USMEF vice chair is Darin Parker, director of Salt Lake City-based exporter and distributor PMI Foods.
The newest USMEF officer is Secretary-Treasurer Ross Havens, a cattle producer who serves as marketing coordinator for Nichols Farms in Bridgewater, Iowa.
Trade barriers discussed
On Nov. 14, the closing business session at the USMEF conference also included a staff panel discussion of opportunities which could emerge as a result of reciprocal trade agreements and frameworks announced by the Trump administration.
The session focused mainly on two critical regions ‒ Europe and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN).
USMEF Vice President of Economic Analysis Erin Borror moderated the panel, which included Vice President of Asia Pacific Jihae Yang, Director of Export and Technical Services Courtney Heller and Director of Export Services Jim Remcheck.
Borror kicked off the discussion by sharing USMEF estimates of substantial additional export opportunities in the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK) and several ASEAN countries if trade barriers ‒ tariff and non-tariff ‒ are addressed.
From there, Borror and the panelists walked the audience through an array of trade barriers which continue to prevent the red meat industry from reaching its trade potential in specific markets within those regions.
In the ASEAN region, U.S. beef faces tariff disadvantages because Australia and New Zealand, along with some other suppliers, have free trade agreements throughout the region. The U.S. also faces a host of non-tariff barriers.
“We have to chip away and tackle some of these technical market access barriers to trade which are really hindering our opportunities,” said Remcheck. “The single greatest barrier we face is the facility-by-facility approval and registration process. This is sort of an overarching, cross-cutting issue we see throughout the region, and it is the primary thing keeping us from reaching our market potential.”
Yang agreed protectionism is a serious problem in the ASEAN and shared an example of how import permit processes can be abused to help protect local producers. Yang also highlighted two other aspects hindering market development efforts in the region ‒ cold chain infrastructure and limited financial capacities of importers.
Yang also detailed U.S. red meat opportunities and several promotional initiatives contributing to the industry’s market development progress in the ASEAN region.
USMCA outlined
The Nov. 13 general session focused on the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the importance of preserving duty-free access for U.S. pork, beef and lamb entering Mexico and Canada.
Kenneth Smith Ramos, a former lead negotiator for the Mexican government who was deeply involved in the negotiation and ratification of USMCA, detailed the mutual benefits USMCA has delivered for the agricultural sectors in both the U.S. and Mexico.
The agreement has enhanced food security in both countries and bolstered the profitability of many agricultural sectors through free trade.
Smith Ramos, who is now a partner in the regulatory and trade consulting firm AGON, outlined the possible outcomes of the USMCA review, ranging from a very limited review to the threat of “rupture” if the agreement is reopened and the U.S. threatens to withdraw.
He anticipates something in between, with portions of USMCA – some of which may be contentious – opened up for renegotiation.
“We see a complex USMCA review, but we do not see a scenario where there is an imminent collapse of the agreement,” he explained. “There will be turbulence, but we do not see the plane crashing.”
Smith Ramos added it is critical for the U.S., Mexican and Canadian agricultural sectors to remain vigilant in explaining the benefits of USMCA and the importance of maintaining it as a trilateral pact.
John Masswohl, a veteran of many agricultural trade negotiations during his long career with the Canadian Cattle Association, struck similar themes as he analyzed USMCA from Canada’s perspective.
He stressed the efficiencies duty-free movement of meat and livestock between the U.S. and Canada have fostered and the importance of maintaining this environment.
Masswohl also questioned whether the U.S. truly has an agricultural trade deficit with Canada, citing per-capita consumption figures.
He noted, based on 2023 data, the average Canadian consumes more than $700 per year in U.S. agricultural goods, while Americans average only $118 in consumption of Canadian ag products.
“This tells me the Canadian market is pretty open, and Canadians like American agricultural products,” he said. “If you scratch into what we are buying, we’re purchasing a lot of high-value U.S. items.”
Individuals honored
The Nov. 13 program also included the presentation of USMEF’s Michael J. Mansfield Award to Ted McKinney, former U.S. Department Agriculture undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.
Dr. Dermot Hayes, who recently retired as an Iowa State University professor and continues to serve as a consulting economist for the pork industry, received the USMEF Distinguished Service Award.
The next meeting of USMEF members will be at the organization’s Spring Conference in Oklahoma City from May 20-22.
USMEF collects and analyzes market intelligence, implements promotional programs and collaborates with industry stakeholders and governmental agencies to increase U.S. red meat exports. This article was originally published on Nov. 14.
