The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Strategic Planning Conference wrapped up Nov. 11 in Oklahoma City, OK, with the election of a new officer team. Dean Meyer, a corn, soybean and livestock producer from Rock Rapids, IA, is the new USMEF chair.
In addition to raising corn and soybeans, Meyer’s diversified operation—which he oversees with his three sons—includes a cattle feedlot and a farrow-to-finish hog facility. This provides him with a deep appreciation of the diverse range of agricultural sectors that make up USMEF.
Meyer succeeds outgoing USMEF Chair Mark Swanson of Fort Collins, CO, founder of food safety and management consulting firm Tru Grit KGMS Enterprises LLC. Minnesota pork producer Randy Spronk will serve as USMEF chair-elect in the coming year, while the vice chair is Steve Hanson, a cattle rancher from southwestern Nebraska. The newest USMEF officer is Secretary/Treasurer Jay Theiler, executive vice president of corporate affairs at Agri Beef, based in Boise, ID.
Friday’s closing business session offered attendees a comprehensive overview of the Biden administration’s current trade initiatives and their potential impacts on red meat exports. Longtime U.S. trade negotiator Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, who is now a trade policy consultant with AgTrade Strategies LLC, praised her successors for their efforts to address trade barriers that limit U.S. agricultural exports. But she questioned the degree to which the Biden administration has prioritized agricultural trade, noting that Congress still has yet to confirm the nominees for the U.S. trade representative’s chief agricultural negotiator and USDA’s undersecretary for trade.
“So it’s hard to get that political push for agriculture when it’s not the priority that it has been in prior administrations—including the Obama administration,” Bomer Lauritsen said.
She spotlighted tense relations between the U.S. and China but noted that the vast Chinese market still holds tremendous opportunities for U.S. agricultural exports.
“I think it’s important to try and separate food trade and to calm some of the rhetoric we’re seeing in our own politics related to China,” she said. “While I know that your industry is having some difficulties with China, I would still argue that the Phase One agreement that we negotiated is a huge success.”
Bomer Lauritsen closed by emphasizing the critical need for U.S. agriculture to remain engaged in U.S. trade policy.
On Thursday, the conference focused on the 45th anniversary of USMEF’s inaugural office in Tokyo. The session showcased the value the U.S.-Japan trade partnership delivers for the U.S. red meat industry, highlighting marketing initiatives and future opportunities. Japan has consistently been the leading value destination for U.S. red meat exports, and 2022 is no exception, with shipments through September topping $3 billion.
Thursday’s activities also included meetings of USMEF’s standing committees, which allow members to receive updates on issues impacting specific sectors. Members of the USMEF Feedgrain and Oilseed Caucus were treated to an appearance by Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur. She welcomed USMEF’s first-ever meeting in Oklahoma and praised the state’s agricultural organizations for their role in expanding global demand for U.S. red meat.
Global production forecasts, export projections, market access challenges and logistics updates were among the agenda items in breakout sessions for the Pork and Allied Industries Committee, Beef and Allied Industries Committee and Exporter Committee. One presentation that received particular attention was a panel discussion by USMEF’s directors in Korea, South America and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region on convenience-driven trends in product packaging.
Former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who spearheaded key trade agreements achieved under the Trump administration, was honored with USMEF’s Michael J. Mansfield Award. The USMEF Distinguished Service Award was presented to Where Food Comes From co-founder Leann Saunders. — USMEF
