EU Commission wants to allow more beef imports from the USA

05-Sep-2018 - Belgium

To defuse the trade dispute with President Donald Trump, the EU Commission wants to allow the USA to import more beef. A share of all imports of hormone-free beef into the EU is to be reserved for the USA, the Brussels authority announced on Monday. The EU states would have to give an appropriate negotiating mandate for this.

Currently, 45 000 tonnes of hormone-free beef from all over the world can be imported into the EU every year. However, no fixed quota is allocated to individual countries - once the 45 000 tonnes have been reached, no further goods can be imported.

However, the overall quota should not be increased, stressed EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan. In addition, EU standards for food safety and health must continue to be complied with.

Trump escalated the trade dispute with the EU in early summer by threatening punitive tariffs on European cars. From his point of view, the USA is disadvantaged by Europe. In a crisis meeting, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker succeeded in averting this, at least temporarily.

The EU Commission recently proposed to the USA the abolition of all car duties on both sides within the framework of a trade agreement. Trump rejected this, however, /asa/DP/nas (dpa)

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