As previously covered on this blog, U.S. beef has been denied access to China since 2003.  Last September, China announced that it had lifted its ban on imports of U.S. beef, but attempts since then to negotiate the technical terms of access have faltered and so American beef producers are effectively blocked from selling any U.S. beef to Chinese consumers.

Following President Trump’s two-day summit late last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping (April 6 and 7, 2017), Chinese officials report that President Xi Jinping is offering to lift China’s longstanding ban on U.S. beef.

Details on how this new agreement will move the issue forward from the September 2016 agreement have not yet been released. But as the Chinese market represents the largest foreign market for U.S. beef exports, we expect the U.S. beef industry to continue pressing for the speedy restoration of U.S. beef access to China.