U.S., Mexico continue efforts to resolve agricultural trade disputes

U.S., Mexico continue efforts to resolve agricultural trade disputes    U.S. and Mexican government officials continue to make improvements in cross-border trade in agricultural commodities and place more items for review on the table.
   After a meeting Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited “significant progress” to remove barriers in Mexico to U.S. beef and poultry following recent outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and avian influenza in the United States.
   During the Consultative Committee on Agriculture meeting, both governments agreed to work immediately on remaining issues that impact U.S. exports of stone fruit, cherries, tomatoes, apples, citrus and wheat.
   The U.S. delegation at the meeting also voiced concern about Mexico’s antidumping measures on U.S. pork and beef. In addition, the two governments agreed to strengthen the effectiveness of their trade policy analysis by capturing more accurate trade date for meat product shipments between the countries.
   Mexico is the third-largest market for U.S. agricultural products, accounting for 14 percent of total U.S. agricultural export sales. The United States is the most important market for Mexican agricultural exports.
   The U.S. and Mexican governments formed the Consultative Committee on Agriculture in April 2002 to regularly address bilateral trade concerns, prevent disruptions in trade, and resolve problems before they develop into larger disputes.