The Colombian government recently lifted its ban on U.S. beef originating from a total of 14 states in which highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in dairy cows since April. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Halstrom says the development comes after tireless work from U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative officials.  

“The reality is that science was on our side, and ultimately, that prevailed,” Halstrom says. “It wasn’t easy, but kudos to our government for staying with it and getting us back in with full access.”

Prior to the restrictions being put in place in April, USMEF says Colombia was a promising market for U.S. beef, averaging about $3 million per month in U.S. beef purchases.  In July – the most recent month for which data is available – exports fell to less than $850,000, the result of the closure.

“On behalf of USMEF’s membership, I want to thank the U.S. government, and especially the teams at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) involved in the effort to restore full access for U.S. beef shipments to Colombia,” says Halstrom, noting that the USDA staff posted in Bogota, in particular, worked tirelessly to get the restrictions lifted.

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USMEF says it is also grateful to Colombian importers and customers who remained loyal to U.S. beef during this difficult time and who voiced their concerns to the Colombian government about the interruption in trade.

USMEF looks forward to rebuilding U.S. beef’s presence in the country, but Halstrom relayed that countries like Canada capitalized on the situation to increase their own market share.

“So, it’s really exciting that we are back to full access, and we can now concentrate on regaining that lost market share,” Halstrom adds.