The Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, confirmed that the volume of imports will be reduced and that the main challenge is health controls.
The Secretary of Agriculture of USABrooke Rollins stated that her country will buy “little Argentine meat” and warned that any opening of the market must guarantee the health security against the risk of foot and mouth disease. The official explained that the conversations with the Argentine Government continue, but anticipated that the volume of exports will be limited.
Rollins confirmed that Donald Trump’s administration maintains a dialogue with Argentina regarding beef exports, although he asked for caution regarding the expectations of the agro-export sector. “It won’t be much that we buy”he assured, and focused on health controls for foot and mouth disease.
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The official explained that The United States consumes about 12 million metric tons of beef per year, of which 10 million are produced internally. “The other two million are produced because there are different parts of that. There’s McDonald’s and ground beef versus actual muscle cuts, which are for many Americans the healthy part of this”he detailed.
Health priority for the livestock industry
Rollins insisted that any opening must “ensure the health safety of the American rodeo.” “Argentina faces a foot-and-mouth disease problem and at the Department of Agriculture we have to guarantee that our livestock industry is safe,” he stressed.
He also recalled that there are other challenges, such as the cattle screwworm coming from Mexico, which is why strict import controls are maintained. “We are going to make sure that our livestock industry is protectedbut this is a very nuanced and very complex market,” he pointed out.
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According to sources from the Department of Agriculture cited by CNBC, the technical teams of both countries are working on health and traceability protocols before authorizing new quotas. The dialogue is part of a broader framework of rapprochement between the Trump administrations and the Argentine Government, aimed at “review and modernize” import standards.
Rollins took advantage of the interview to talk about the new policies of the Republican government on the consumption of saturated fats. “We are working to make America healthy again”he pointed out. He explained that they seek to “change the guidelines on returning to saturated fats” and balance the production and consumption of animal proteins.
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Reactions of the livestock sector and expectations in Argentina
American producer associations expressed their concern about the eventual opening, warning that it could “put pressure on internal prices and affect small breeders.” From Buenos Aires, sources from the Ministry of Economy and the Secretariat of Bioeconomy highlighted that Argentine technicians work to guarantee the traceability of animals of areas free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination.
Although the economic impact would be limited, the restoration of the meat trade with the United States would have strong symbolic value. In 2022, Washington had temporarily lifted the ban on Argentine importsbut shipments were suspended shortly after due to differences in health standards.
Source: Ambito
