A one-year delay to regulations that would require importers of beef and other goods to show their products are not linked to deforestation was approved by the European Parliament. The law was to go into effect at the end of the year, but as U.S. Meat Export Federation Vice President of Economic Analysis Erin Borror explains, the EU systems were not ready.
“It essentially requires geo-locations for properties where cattle are raised to prove that they come from lands not deforested,” Borror says.
With several layers of requirements, the documentation process is intensive and the systems were not ready for implementation by Dec. 30, she adds.
“We have, in general, traceability on our production for Europe through the non hormone treated cattle program, but those geo locations are not shared past the verifier.”
Borror explains the pieces exist, but are not all put together into a new system. Having importers ready to launch by the original deadline is not practical for the U.S. or other countries.
“A year is not that much time to still try to figure everything out,” she says.
While deforestation is not a concern for U.S. beef, the regulation as written places a significant documentation burden on U.S. producers, according to a USMEF statement.
“We remain optimistic that there could still be changes to this regulation to make it workable,” Borror adds.
She also points out the U.S. has a $20 billion trade deficit with Europe on ag products specifically, and that is just in trade through October.
“Hopefully we’re in a strong position to try to reach some type of agreement, not just for the U.S., but for all true, no-risk countries to not have the burden of the EUDR, as it’s written,” Borror concludes.
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