USDA Expands Beef & Pork Trade with Mexico and Peru

High Plains Journal
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April 23, 2015

"Mexico is an important market for U.S. cattle producers, with the potential to import $15 million of live U.S. cattle per year," said the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.

Dodge City, Kansas - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently reached agreements allowing U.S. beef and pork producers greater access to consumers in Mexico and Peru.

The two agreements announced will allow U.S. producers to export slaughter cattle to Mexico and expand access to consumer markets in Peru for U.S. fresh and chilled pork. The secretary made the announcements during a meeting with producers in Des Moines, Iowa.

"Our priority at the USDA is not only to open or reopen markets for our producers, but to help drive U.S. economic growth through trade by supporting and creating American jobs on and off the farm," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "Mexico is an important market for U.S. cattle producers, with the potential to import $15 million of live U.S. cattle per year, and Peru's market could generate $5 million annually in additional pork sales."

The United States and Mexico reached an agreement that takes effect immediately and will allow U.S. producers to export slaughter cattle to Mexico for the first time in over a decade. The USDA has been working with Mexico since 2008 to reopen this market and the final agreement was reached between USDA Under Secretary Ed Avalos and Enrique Sanchez-Cruz with SAGARPA during meetings recent in Washington, D.C.

Exporters and producers can find the required documents on the APHIS website or through their local veterinary services office.
Similarly, USDA has conducted extensive negotiations with Peru's Servicio National De Sanidad Agraria since 2012 to expand access for U.S. fresh, chilled pork and pork products. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service export library will be updated to the new export requirements for these pork and pork products exports.
"More than 1 million people go to work every day thanks to exports of American-grown products. Expanded U.S. agricultural exports mean more new jobs, but our farmers and ranchers will miss out on new markets for American products if Congress doesn't act on Trade Promotion Authority early this year and if we don't continue to build support for a Trans-Pacific Partnership with Asian nations."

USDA continues its push to eliminate all remaining trade barriers to U.S. cattle and cattle products stemming from past detections of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. USDA Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service continues to work with its trading partners to ensure any unnecessary requirements for U.S. origin beef are eliminated. The World Organization for Animal Health considers the United States' to have negligible risk for BSE. This is OIE's lowest risk category for this disease.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture continuously seeks opportunities for U.S. agricultural products and producers to expand access to overseas markets and contribute to a positive U.S. trade balance, to create jobs and to support economic growth. The past six years have represented the strongest period for American agricultural exports in the history of our country. In fiscal year 2014 American farmers and ranchers exported a record $152.5 billion of food and agricultural products to consumers worldwide.

Original article

Iberia and Interjet Reach Code-Sharing Agreement Covering Mexico Flights

laht.com

MEXICO CITY – Spain’s Iberia and Mexican carrier Interjet said they reached a code-sharing agreement that will allow the European airline’s passengers to reach domestic destinations in Mexico.

The agreement takes effect on July 8, with five destinations covered initially and expanding to the rest of the country two months later, Antonio Pimentel, Iberia’s director of alliances, and Interjet CEO Jose Luis Garza said in a press conference in Mexico City.

“Interjet is the partner Iberia needed in Mexico” so customers could reach the country’s interior, Pimentel said.

Mexico is a priority market for Iberia, which offers two daily flights to Mexico City but was “missing connectivity with the rest of the country,” Pimentel said.

The agreement will make Mexico the No. 2 partner in terms of connections in the Americas, trailing only the United States, the Iberia executive said.

The first phase of the agreement opens up connections from the Federal District to Guadalajara, Monterrey, Bajio, Cancun and Huatulco for Iberia travelers, Garza said.

Iberia, which has been flying to Mexico since 1950, offers connections to more than 100 destinations in 38 countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.

Interjet, which started operating in December 2005, has a 24 percent share of the domestic airline market and offers flights to about 40 cities and tourism centers in Mexico, as well as eight foreign destinations.

Mexico and UNS sign agreements

Thursday, 19 June 2014 01:10

BY SUZZETE ALCÁNTARA

The News

Through the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation for Development (Amexcid), the federal government has signed several agreements with the United Nations System (UNS).

The deals aim to strengthen cooperation in sectors such as health, education, social development, gender equality, reproductive health, child rights and agricultural development.

The agreements are part of goals included in the National Development Plan which seeks to boost cooperation with other developing countries.

“This collaboration illustrates the importance of consistency in policies within the country as well as policies that affect the international community,” Foreign Relations Secretary José Antonio Meade said during an interview.

Meade also reported that there is an overall healthy presence of Mexicans in Brazil attending the World Cup, saying that “fans have been enjoying their stay in Brazil during this ... competition, which yesterday gave Mexicans reason to rejoice.

“So far, there have only been minor incidents, such as loss of passports, a couple of injuries sustained by players during games, and a fan who broke his arm but received treatment,” Meade said. “The incidents were resolved by consular authorities we have who work in good coordination with Brazilian.”

Regarding the arrest of the alleged Mexican drug trafficker in Rio de Janeiro, who was preparing to travel to Fortaleza to attend the Mexico-Brazil match, Meade said that consular assistance was provided to him just as as it would have been to any other Mexican.