The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is working with US. Trade officials on trying to get U.S. beef back into the Chinese market. China banned exports in 2003 following a case of B.S.E. Now the Chinese are interested in having some type of traceability program. NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall says his group is working on such a program.

Woodall says they’re modeling this traceability program after the one they used to regain the Japanese market.

R CALF, a cattle group that’s often at odds with NCBA over various issues, is also interested in the traceability program for China. R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard says they want it to be a voluntary program however.

Bullard says for the traceability program to work it would require the meatpackers to offer some type of financial incentive to producers. He says they would be opposed to any mandated requirement.