Mercosur Beef Exports Reach 299,000 Tons

The Irish beef industry faces potential competition from the Mercosur trade agreement. The exact economic impact of the South American trade deal remains difficult to quantify. Irish beef producers expressed concerns regarding the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, citing difficulties in verifying the safety of South American beef. The source stated that unlike trade deals with Canada, there are no established mechanisms to check for BSE cases in South American imports. Producers described the current terms as grossly unfair to Irish and European farmers. They called on the European Union to re-evaluate the agreement. A commentator noted that there was no prior discussion regarding these specific benefits during recent trade negotiations. The industry aims to pursue trade agreements to allow products to reach wider markets. Mercosur member states have exported 200,000 tonnes of beef subject to 20 million euros in EU tariffs. An additional 99,000 tonnes are subject to a lower tariff rate of approximately 1 percent. Reporter Anne Herberg visited producers in Mercosur states to investigate the situation. The report notes that meat in the EU is subsidized, whereas South American meat is not.