ATLANTA — Federal government trade officials visited the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) to hear from stakeholders in the meat, feed, poultry and egg industries.
Ambassador Doug McKalip, chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), and Alexis Taylor, undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the US Department of Agriculture, led the group of officials in Atlanta.
“We are privileged to have the nation’s top trade officials take time from their busy schedules to participate in IPPE, meet with exhibitors and participants, and discuss ways the United States can support these agricultural exports, expand and diversify foreign markets, and address global sustainability challenges,” said IPPE show organizers. “Their work on behalf of our members and IPPE exhibitors and attendees recognizes the important value of the animal protein and feed industries to the US economy and global trade.”
Taylor toured the exhibit hall, where he met with companies from three different industries, including a media roundtable to answer questions. He said that for every $1 billion in US agricultural exports, nearly 7,000 jobs are created and $1 billion is added to the economy to support rural and urban communities.
Both Taylor and McKalip participated in a trade panel discussion, moderated by Constance Cullman, president and chief executive officer of the American Feed Industry Association. It was part of AFIA’s Pet Food Conference, which was attended by nearly 500 people.
Taylor explained the Biden administration’s approach to trade and what it means for American agricultural producers, including the pet food industry.
“The Biden-Harris administration’s approach to trade has created a direct path between initial discussions and clear and positive results for American producers,” McKalip said. “The fact that we got 12 different tariffs lowered last year and 31 different markets to remove access barriers, shows that we are seeing the payoff of our time and effort. “
After that panel, both officials moved on to an executive roundtable with representatives from AFIA, USPOULTRY and the Meat Institute led by Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute.
“I was also particularly pleased to hear their support for Protein PACT and to learn about their work to promote animal agriculture as part of the solution to global sustainability negotiations and conversations,” Potts said. .
According to IPPE figures, between 25%-30% of US pork production, 13%-15% of US beef production, 16%-20.2% of US poultry meat production and 2.1%-5.5% of US eggs are exported annually.
In 2022, the last calendar year for which annual data is available, export value for beef, pork and combined poultry and eggs reached more than $11.6 billion, $7.6 billion, $6.23 billion, respectively . These exports add value throughout the supply chain, supporting producers, packers and processors, workers and rural communities.
When it comes to animal feed, feed ingredients and pet food, removing trade barriers and opening markets is also a priority. In 2022, the total export value for these three products will reach $7.5 billion and the total volume of exports will reach 9 million tons.
