Malaysia Trade Mission Highlights Growing Demand for U.S. Halal Beef
USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg returned last week from a trade mission to Malaysia, where expanding U.S. beef exports was a central topic of discussion. The visit highlighted both the challenges and significant opportunities facing American beef producers as trade relationships in Southeast Asia continue to evolve.
According to Lindberg, exporting specific beef cuts is essential to maintaining profitability for producers at home. “We need to be exporting certain cuts of beef to make it profitable for folks here back at home and we’re continuing to work hard on that.” International markets like Malaysia play an important role in adding value to the entire carcass, particularly through exports of cuts that are less commonly consumed domestically.
A major focus of the trade mission was access for Halal certified U.S. beef. “The main focus of our conversations with respect to have dealt around getting access for our Halal certified beef into the market,” Lindberg said. Malaysia’s population is predominantly Muslim, making Halal certification a key requirement for beef imports.
“So Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim majority country and we do produce Halal certified beef here in the United States,” he explained. While U.S. producers are capable of meeting those standards, access to the Malaysian market has not always been consistent. “In the past, it has been spotty in terms of our ability to actually access that market.”
Despite those challenges, Lindberg emphasized the strong appetite for American beef overseas. “But let me tell you, there is huge demand for our beef there.” To help address past barriers, the delegation met directly with Malaysian Halal certification authorities. “We met with the folks that do the Halal certifications while I was over there, talked to them extensively about reducing the friction on it.”
One example from the trip illustrates how demand is already translating into investment. “There’s this big steakhouse right in downtown Kuala Lumpur that is desperate for U.S. beef.” Following the signing of the trade agreement, Lindberg said the business took decisive action. “After this agreement was signed, they invested in a smaller beef processing facility here in the United States to get up to Halal standards just so that they could import U.S. beef for their steakhouse in Kuala Lumpur.”
In addition to premium beef, Lindberg pointed to opportunities for variety cuts that are commonly exported. “Those are the opportunities we’d love to see in addition to some of those variety cuts that we often ship overseas as well.”
Overall, the Malaysia trade mission signals expanding potential for U.S. beef exports, offering American producers new pathways to profitability through Halal certified products and growing global demand.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.