Negotiations Approach Quickly, Two Key Trade Seats Sit Empty
With multiple trade negotiations and opportunities coming up, two seats of U.S. trade positions sit empty.
“It's hard to believe, but we're almost to the halfway point of the Biden administration and need to get our roster full with some key positions. We've got two appointees that really need to get through the process,” says Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
Nominations for Doug McKalip and Alexis Taylor advanced to the Senate in September and currently approval. McKalip has been slated to serve as chief agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, while Taylor has been put forth to take the position as USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.
Key trade opportunities, specifically the Indo-Pacific economic framework, will have their first round of negotiations in Australia in mid-December, Halstrom notes, while other pending initiatives await with Kenya and Taiwan.
“It's more important than ever to have a full bench, so to speak, with key positions filled so that U.S. agriculture can have the appropriate seat at the table when these talks take place,” Halstrom explains.
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)
“The Indo-Pacific framework has the potential to really pay some dividends in terms of taking care of some of those trade issues that we have, such as trade barriers and some of the technical issues that may be limiting the volume potential in the region,” Halstom says.
Key growth market countries in the area, including the Philippines and Vietnam, really affect what we’re doing every day in the world of beef and pork exports, Halstrom explains. The large population base in Indonesia presents an incredible opportunity for U.S. meat, and the market is anything but transparent.
“There's a lot of upside, in terms of something as simple as getting new plant approvals, for Indonesia. So, there's a lot of aspects of the Indo-Pacific framework that could pay dividends to our industry back here in the U.S.” Halstrom says.
