Mexico meat imports.....

[cowz]

Watcha think on this one....should we block Mexican produce......it has to be labeled with country of origin too.....what?

Beef Alert:  Mexico Blocks Meat Imports Over Labeling

Trade tensions between the U.S. and Mexico worsened as Mexico blocked imports of meat from at least 30 U.S. meat processing plants.

The move, which took effect Wednesday, came about a week after the Mexican government filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization about a new U.S. law that requires labeling the origin of fresh beef and pork imported to the U.S.

U.S. trade partners are concerned the country-of-origin labeling policy will encourage American consumers to favor U.S.-raised meat. The law, which was included in the 2008 Farm Bill and took effect Sept. 30, requires supermarkets or other  food retailers to label or otherwise display the country of origin for meat, produce and certain kinds of nuts.

Plants that process meat for Tyson Foods Inc., Smithfield Foods Inc. and other large beef, pork and poultry processors were among those listed as unable to sell meat into Mexico.

In trading Friday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the cattle contract for December delivery sank 1.575 cents a pound to settle at 85.9 cents a pound.

Shares of Tyson Foods rose 1.61% to $8.20. Smithfield shares rose 7.54% to $12.98.

Last year, Mexico sold more than 870,000 head of live cattle to the U.S. to be partly raised and then processed into meat. The country's sales of live cattle here so far this year have fallen far below that. The Mexican government has said it thinks the new law could be partly to blame.

Earlier this year, Mexico had warned some U.S. meat plants of alleged "point of entry" violations that could include paperwork or labeling problems.

A spokesman for the U.S. Meat Export Federation said that many companies affected by the action this week already have submitted paperwork to be recertified to import to Mexico. 

A spokesman for Tyson said some of its trucks shipping meat to Mexico were unexpectedly stopped at the Mexican border on Wednesday. The Reuters news service quoted Mexican government officials saying the issue could be resolved next week.
Source: Dow Jones Newswires

 

[red]

I noticed at Krogers that meat was marked that it could have come from USA, Canada & Mexico.

Red

 

[knabe]

I noticed at Krogers that meat was marked that it could have come from USA, Canada & Mexico.

Red

what a joke.  perhaps a better label would be that it came from earth.  a producer should not be required to do this unless they want to and think it will help them.  it's not necessary to involve the government to set up a process to do this.  all this does is subsidize those that can take advantage of trade agreement.  they should have to pay 100% of their own way.  decentralize control.  if someone sees a benefit, let them pay for it themselves.  typical government.

 

[garybob]

You guys would be amazed at the number of cattle on feed in the Texas/Oklahoma Panhandle, Arizona, New Mexico. and Southern California Feedyards that were purchased for pennies on the dollar as Mexican Feeder Steers. Not Corrientes, either. These are good, heavy-boned calves looking for something to eat. Due to compensatory gain, these calves will "turn the crank" on gains and conversions.

How have Y'uns been doing? Haven't been here in a while.

GB

 

[knabe]

dang you GB,  i was just about to call you.  merry christmas.

knabe

 

[dori36]

I noticed at Krogers that meat was marked that it could have come from USA, Canada & Mexico.

Red

what a joke.  perhaps a better label would be that it came from earth.  a producer should not be required to do this unless they want to and think it will help them.  it's not necessary to involve the government to set up a process to do this.   all this does is subsidize those that can take advantage of trade agreement.  they should have to pay 100% of their own way.  decentralize control.  if someone sees a benefit, let them pay for it themselves.  typical government.

As I understand it, the 3 country label was a nod to the packers as there was about a 60 day supply of cattle in the pipeline that weren't source identified when COOL finally became law.  After the 60 day period, I believe the cuts will be labeled more correctly as to country of origin.  I'm thinking that there's a little less than 30 days left for the 3 way label.  Let's hope so!

 

[cowz]

update....

Dec. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico has lifted meat-import restrictions on at least 19 U.S. slaughterhouses, after earlier banning their shipments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today in an e-mail statement.

Five other plants will probably be recertified after the USDA sends plans to Mexico for resuming imports, according to the statement from Laura Reiser, a spokeswoman from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Last week, Mexico banned purchases of pork, beef and poultry from about 30 U.S. plants because of failure to meet import standards. They included facilities owned by Tyson Foods Inc., the largest U.S.-based meat producer, and Smithfield Foods Inc., the world’s largest hog producer.

“The issues triggering the action by Mexico were not of food-safety concern, but regarding quality or technical issues,” Reiser said in the statement. She declined to comment to Bloomberg News on which plants had been recertified or when meat shipments would resume.