US President Donald Trump was expected to formally announce a deal to open up the EU to more beef exports after the bloc carved out quotas from other nations earlier this year, people familiar with the plans said.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and the European ambassador to the US were yesterday to sign an agreement to increase the amount of US beef that could be sold in the EU market, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement.
Trump’s daily itinerary for yesterday included “an announcement on EU Trade,” although the White House did not specify what the event was about.
A White House spokesman and the Office of the US Trade Representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment late on Thursday.
US farmers would be entitled to almost 80 percent — or 35,000 tonnes — of the annual EU quota on hormone-free beef over seven years, with an initial allocation of about 40 percent, European officials told reporters in June.
The Trump administration in June secured more access to the EU’s beef market after the bloc persuaded Australia, Argentina and Uruguay to cede chunks of the import quota.
Lighthizer called for the formal signing ceremony in an attempt to show progress on the bilateral trade agenda, people familiar with the announcement said.
The quota was set a decade ago to settle a transatlantic dispute over an EU ban on meat from cattle that were given growth hormones.
WTO rules required the volumes be made available to other nations that export beef, and Australia, Argentina and Uruguay gradually replaced the US as the largest suppliers.
The announcement comes as Trump feuds with Europe over some trade issues, particularly with France.
Trump has threatened to tariff French wine after that country imposed a tax on tech companies that particularly affects US firms.
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