Dive Brief:
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Colombia has lifted its ban on U.S. beef imports from states in which bird flu was detected in dairy cows, according to an update from the Department of Agriculture on Monday.
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Beef exporters in 14 states will have restored access to Colombia markets, according to changes made to the USDA’s export library. Colombia was the only country to ban U.S. beef imports over the H5N1 outbreak affecting dairy cattle.
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Colombia’s ban hurt U.S. beef export purchases and reduced the country’s spending by as much as 70% over the summer, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation. The United States is Colombia’s largest supplier of imported beef.
Dive Insight:
After Colombia banned U.S. beef imports over a mounting bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle, trade negotiators worked quickly to assuage concerns from other parts of the world, including the Dominican Republic.
“Effective USDA engagement with other trading partners helped prevent similar trade barriers from affecting additional export markets,” USMEF CEO Dan Halstrom said in a statement.
Prior to the restrictions, Colombia averaged about $3 million per month in U.S. beef purchases. In July, exports fell to less than $850,000, according to the latest data from USMEF.
While Colombia is considered an active market for U.S. beef trade, it makes up a small percentage of total exports. However, the market is still important for exporters looking to diversify markets. The United States sent over $40 million in beef to Columbia in 2023.
“We look forward to rebuilding U.S. beef’s presence in the Colombian market and meeting the needs of our valued customers,” Halstrom said.
Days after Colombia’s ban took effect, the USDA said it began testing ground beef from grocery stores as part of a series of studies aimed at ensuring the nation’s food supply was safe to eat despite the ongoing bird flu outbreak.
According to the May results, no bird flu particles were found in the retail samples. Cooking burger patties, previously injected with a high dosage of the H5N1 virus, also effectively inactivated the virus.
Dairy cattle contribute to about 20% of the total U.S. beef supply, according to the Beef Checkoff program.
About 238 dairies across 14 states have reported cattle that tested positive for bird flu since the outbreak began in late February, according to USDA data as of Sept. 25. Over the past month, a surge has occurred in California, where 40 herds have tested positive for the virus.