“For many years Argentina pursued a policy of managed trade that imposed restrictions on agricultural exports, but with a change in government it is now pursuing an export-driven agenda that has significantly improved the outlook for Argentina’s agricultural economy,” said Seng. “Canada’s positions on red meat trade are also of great interest to WMC attendees, especially given its new trade agreement with the EU, its role in the TPP-11 agreement and the ongoing NAFTA negotiations.”
Leading economic experts will share their insights with WMC participants in a session titled, A World of Change: Factors Affecting Red Meat Trade.
Moderated by USMEF Economist Erin Borror, this session’s panelists include Amy Xu, head of purchasing for COFCO Meat Group Inc.’s trade department, Daniil Khotko, leading analyst at IKAR LLC in Russia, Pablo Sherwell, head of RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness for North America and Michael Drury, chief economist for McVean Trading and Investments. Topics addressed will include:
- Factors shaping China’s red meat market over the near and medium term, including the current rebound in domestic pork production and whether there is room for further growth in pork consumption; whether China’s booming demand for imported beef will continue to gain momentum; and the projected impact of higher tariffs on U.S. pork and proposed tariffs on U.S. beef and soybeans.
- Challenges faced by Russia’s pork producers and whether investment in the Russian pork industry is sufficient to sustain expansion; how is this situation impacted by the suspension of pork and beef imports from Brazil – which is now in its fifth month?
- Mexico’s cattle and hog sectors have attracted significant investment, but what are the prospects for production growth and related implications for global trade? Does this include diversification of Mexico’s red meat exports and imports beyond the United States?
- From a macroeconomic standpoint, what is the near-to-medium term outlook for the global economy and what factors or uncertainties are most likely to impact demand for red meat?