USCA Adds to Growing Call for the Halt of Brazilian Beef Imports

(NOVEMBER 17, 2021) – On Wednesday, the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) joined with recent calls from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and RCALF-USA to immediately suspend imports of beef from Brazil.

In its letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, USCA writes:

“Recent reports of human remains containing Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease, follow closely on the heels of an atypical case of BSE found in an older cow in Brazil. This is especially troubling given Brazil’s history of corruption and dishonest trading practices in the global marketplace. USCA is concerned that there are more cases waiting to be ‘discovered’.”

USCA Trade Committee Chair Larry Kendig issued the following statement: 

“The same concerns which prompted USCA to call for a halt to Brazilian beef imports in 2017 remain today. Put simply, Brazil is a bad actor in the global marketplace. The country has a history of corruption at the highest levels, and we are gambling with the health of the domestic cattle herd each time we accept a shipment of beef from Brazil.”