The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has initiated a Section 301 investigation into Brazil’s unfair trade practices, with a sharp focus on agricultural products—especially beef. Southeast AgNet’s Dale Sandlin sat down with Kent Backus, Executive Director of Government Affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), to discuss the implications for the U.S. cattle industry and the broader trade relationship with Brazil.
Reported by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet:
USTR Targets Brazil’s Unfair Trade Barriers
Kent Backus explained that the investigation stems from a range of trade grievances, with agriculture—particularly beef and pork—at the forefront. While ethanol remains a major issue, beef is taking center stage in the USTR’s inquiry.
Over the past five years, Brazil has exported approximately $4.5 billion in beef to the United States, primarily in the form of lean trimmings used for ground beef. In stark contrast, the U.S. has only managed to export $21 million worth of beef to Brazil over the same period. This vast disparity has raised questions about the reciprocity and fairness of current trade practices.
Technical Barriers Limit U.S. Beef Access
According to Backus, one of the biggest hurdles facing U.S. beef exporters is the non-science-based technical barriers imposed by the Brazilian government. These include complex export certificate requirements and arbitrary approval processes, which have severely restricted American access to the Brazilian market.
“They’ve got a lot of technical barriers that make it darn near impossible to get our export certificates approved,” said Backus. “In many cases, they just won’t approve them.”
This has resulted in a one-sided trade relationship, with Brazil enjoying virtually unrestricted access to the U.S. market while simultaneously blocking American products.
NCBA Raises Food Safety and Animal Health Concerns
Beyond trade inequities, the NCBA has long voiced serious concerns about food safety and animal health related to Brazilian beef. Backus emphasized that the association was among the first to call for a suspension of Brazilian beef imports—not due to competitive pressures, but because of Brazil’s poor record in disease reporting, particularly atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and other animal health threats.
“The last thing we want to do is put our herd and our consumers at risk,” Backus warned. “We also don’t need to trade with countries that could undermine or jeopardize the very trusted image of beef that we have built in the United States.”
What Comes Next?
The Section 301 investigation could pave the way for tariffs, import restrictions, or other trade remedies should the USTR determine that Brazil’s actions are unjustified and harmful to U.S. economic interests. The outcome could have significant implications for the global beef trade and set a precedent for how the U.S. handles agricultural trade disputes moving forward.
Stay tuned as this important investigation develops and the USTR evaluates the next steps in ensuring fair and science-based trade practices with Brazil.