The United States and the European Union have reached an “agreement in principle” to allow U.S. farmers a share of the EU’s annual 45,000-ton quota for hormone-free beef imports. Politico reports the agreement has been sent to EU member nations for approval.
The import quota was set in 2009 by the EU after the bloc lost a World Trade Organization dispute over its ban on hormone-treated beef. However, other nations have largely served to meet the quota, crowding out U.S. beef producers. Negotiations to include the U.S. in the EU beef market started in September of last year, as the Trump administration is seeking a trade agreement with the European Union.
Those talks have been slow going as the European Union has been reluctant to include agriculture in trade negotiations with the United States. Still, both sides are trying to move forward in the initial negotiation.