U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue joined U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad to cut into a Nebraska prime rib in a Beijing.
The ceremony in Beijing Friday marks the return of U.S. beef to the China after a 13-year hiatus. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue says the trip went well.
?Beef is a big deal in China and I’m convinced that when the Chinese people get a taste of U.S. beef, they’re going to want more of it. These products coming into China are safe, wholesome, and very delicious. This is also a good harbinger of the kind of relationship that can be developed. We hope there are other things we can cooperate on and we’re going to use U.S. beef as the forerunner.?
Also on Friday, Perdue held a series of meetings with Chinese government officials, including Vice Premier Wang Yang and Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu, to discuss expanding trade between the United States and China.
Following Friday?s events in Beijing, Perdue traveled Saturday to Shanghai where he toured a major Chinese supermarket where other American products are offered.
China has emerged as a major beef buyer in recent years, with imports increasing from $275 million in 2012 to $2.5 billion in 2016. The United States is the world?s largest beef producer and in 2016 was the world?s fourth-largest exporter, with global sales of more than $5.4 billion.
The return of U.S. beef and beef products is a part of the U.S.-China 100-Day Action Plan announced by the Trump Administration on May 11, 2017, with the first shipment of U.S. beef arriving in China on June 19, 2017.
