USMEF Chairman Jay Tyler Outlines 2025 Priorities for Expanding U.S. Red Meat Exports
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is entering the coming year with clear direction and renewed leadership under newly elected Chairman Jay Tyler. In discussing the organization’s goals, Tyler emphasized that the priorities for USMEF remain consistent, focused, and essential to long-term global competitiveness. As he explained, “The priorities for USMEF have been relatively consistent. We’re going to follow that path going forward.”
Strengthening Product Differentiation
According to Tyler, the first priority is to continue highlighting what sets U.S. beef, pork, and lamb apart from competitors. “We are the gold standard for products when you look at beef, pork, and lamb around the world. This product is highly sought after.” USMEF plays a pivotal role in global marketing, ensuring international buyers understand the quality, safety, and reliability of U.S. meat products. By amplifying these strengths, the organization aims to continue driving global demand.
Defending Key Established Markets
The second strategic focus for USMEF is protecting long-established markets in countries where U.S. meat has earned strong market share. Tyler emphasized the importance of maintaining trust and demonstrating stability to long-term trading partners. “These are markets like Japan, Korea, Mexico, where we’ve had longstanding partnerships… We want to make sure that those customers that we’ve worked with for years and years know how important they are to us and how important those relationships are to us and our business.”
With geopolitical uncertainties raising questions about supplier reliability, reinforcing these partnerships is more crucial than ever.
Diversifying to Develop Future Markets
Looking further ahead, Tyler identified diversification as the third major priority—one that will shape the next 50 years of U.S. red meat exports. “We can’t replace China, but we can build our future business in markets that are now developing.” This includes emerging regions such as Africa, South America, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. These developing markets present long-term opportunities for growth, helping stabilize the industry against economic or political disruptions in larger markets.
The USMEF’s commitment to differentiation, defense, and diversification ensures that U.S. beef, pork, and lamb continue to compete successfully on the global stage. Under Chairman Jay Tyler’s leadership, the federation remains focused on strengthening demand, building resilience, and securing new avenues for export growth.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.