Mexico set to relax controls on US meat
It said the lift in age restrictions (from cattle over 30 months of age) effectively removes the last of Mexico’s BSE-related restrictions, and would enable the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) export verification program (EV) for Mexico to be terminated. There are approximately 170 US establishments currently enrolled.
The changes to the import regulations were due to take effect from 30 April, however shipments of beef over 30-months old cannot take place until the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) updates its Export Library.
Chad Russell, regional director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic at the US Meat Export Federation, said: "This is an issue that USMEF has been working on for a number of years, and resolving it has been a lengthy process.
"We received excellent support on this issue from FAS officials at the US embassy in Mexico, who always made sure that it was front-and-center whenever US-Mexico trade issues were being discussed at high levels. Though it took some time, these efforts have now paid off."
Russell added: "This should have a positive impact on our ability to export more beef to this large and important market, particularly in the current environment. We’re experiencing a period of very high beef prices and constraints on supply, in what has always been a rather price-sensitive market. So we feel that having new supply options available will help us maintain a strong presence in the market and grow our export volume to Mexico."
