Fischer Praises Agreement to Send U.S. Beef to China

Press Release

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) today released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced an agreement to open the market for U.S. beef to China for the first time since 2003.

"Nebraska beef producers are the best in the world. Today's agreement is welcome news for families across our state who can now compete in a new market that is estimated at $2.6 billion. I look forward to continuing my work with the administration to expand opportunities for our beef producers to deliver their outstanding, high-quality products to a hungry world."

Today's announcement comes on the heels of Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue's visit to Cherry County, Nebraska, where he joined Senator Fischer in hosting a rancher roundtable. During the discussion, Secretary Perdue stated that opening U.S. beef exports to China is a top priority and would better enable American ranchers to sell their world-class product to a growing market.

Nebraska is a proven leader in the beef industry. Currently, Nebraska exports beef products equivalent to 2,600 head of cattle worldwide every day.

Last Congress, Senator Fischer worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to export Nebraska beef to Israel. In February of 2016, USDA announced a new agreement with Israel to lift the ban on U.S. beef imports for the first time since 2003. The first shipments arrived from Nebraska's WR Reserve plant in Hastings.

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