After 14 years, U.S. beef hits Chinese market

During his Senate hearing to be confirmed as ambassador to China, then-Gov. Terry Branstad said he would prefer to serve Iowa beef — not cuts from Australia — at the U.S. Embassy there. He won’t get that wish yet, but the prime rib he slices into Friday when joined in Beijing by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Chinese government officials to ceremonially mark the return of U.S. beef to China after a 14-year ban will be from closer to home — Nebraska. The meat shipped last week by a South Omaha meatpacker was reported to be the first shipment of U.S. beef to China since 2003 after officials sealed a long-sought trade deal this month. “This is a big deal. It’s definitely very positive news,” said Lee Schulz, an Iowa State University Extension livestock economist. But Schulz cautioned overcoming the political hurdles that had prevented U.S. beef exports to China over fears associated with mad cow disease are only the first step. It will be some time before American beef becomes “it’s what’s for dinner” for nearly 1.4 billion Chinese. He described the Chinese market for U.S. beef as “in its infancy” in terms of its impact on Iowa and U.S. producers and processors...more