Hormone Beef Dispute Deal Unknown

August 15, 2001

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association says a BLOOMBERG NEWS article that said European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy announced that the European Union will comply with a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against a long standing ban on U.S. hormone treated beef by early next year is unknown to the association.

"NCBA is unaware of an agreement with the European Union on U.S. beef treated with hormones," an NCBA statement said, "and we have not received indications of an agreement begin reached, from the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) office or any other official source. To our knowledge, negotiations with the EU, to increase the amount of beef allowed into the EU, continue as they have since last year."

The statement continued, "NCBA looks forward to reaching an agreement with the EU on this issue. Until an agreement is reached, NCBA continues to support a compete lifting of the ban and the ongoing efforts of the USTR to increase the ability of U.S. producers to export beef to Europe."