USDA has posted the requirements for exporting U.S. beef to China, opening a key market that’s been closed to U.S. beef for more than 13 years. Thad Lively, U.S. Meat Export Federation senior vice president for trade access says the requirements for China are stricter than most customers and will include testing for residues from synthetic hormones and beta agonists. He notes that this will require a period of adjustment for the U.S. beef industry and will likely limit export volumes in the near term.

Meeting these requirements will add costs and this will mean that U.S. beef is priced at a premium compared to other suppliers in the market.

Despite these limiting factors, however, Lively says there is still much to like in the U.S.-China agreement, including access for chilled beef.

He praises U.S. government officials for negotiating broader access terms in China than any other beef-exporting country.

The inclusion of chilled (never frozen) beef is especially important, because chilled U.S. beef will appeal greatly to buyers in China’s high-end food service and retail sectors.