Colombia fully reopens market to US Beef – USMEF

Access has been restored for 13 states

With the Colombian government recently lifting its ban on US beef originating from states in which H5N1 was detected in dairy cows, the Export Library for Colombia has been updated to reflect restored access for beef from 13 states, according to a recent press release from the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). 

In response, USMEF president and CEO Dan Halstrom issued the following statement:

“On behalf of USMEF’s membership, I want to thank the US government, and especially the teams at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) involved in the effort to restore full access for US beef shipments to Colombia,” he said.  

“The USDA staff posted in Bogota, in particular, worked tirelessly to get these restrictions lifted,” he added. “We are also grateful to Colombian importers and customers who remained loyal to US beef during this difficult time and who voiced their concerns to the Colombian government about the interruption in trade.

“It is also important to note that effective USDA engagement with other trading partners helped prevent similar trade barriers from affecting additional export markets,” he continued. “While Colombia was the only destination to officially restrict imports of US beef as a result of H5N1 findings in dairy cows, the impact on beef exports was substantial.” 

“Prior to the restrictions imposed in April, Colombia was a promising market averaging about $3 million per month in US beef purchases. In July – the most recent month for which data is available – exports fell to less than $850,000,” Hailstorm concluded. “We look forward to rebuilding US beef’s presence in the Colombian market and meeting the needs of our valued customers.”