U.S. near decision on meat imports

Press, 29 December 1979, Page 3

U.S. near decision on meat imports

NZPA-Reuter Washington , ; A decision would soon be announced on the United [States 1980 meat-import pro- [ gramme, the two leading op-, [tions allowing for imports! [below the trigger level of'j [1.668 billion pounds (757/ (million kilograms), said!! ; Administration officials! [yesterday. [ They said that mostj [agencies in the Adminis-i] [tration appeared to prefer an; ! "open-market” approach,; with no constraints on individual countries, over the!! [other option of negotiating![ ; voluntary restraint agree- [ [ments with each nation.!! .However, the White House, 'had not yet decided on the' [two proposals. . Both options would allow: 1 Tor more meat imports than J [the 1.57 billion pounds ini' .1979 under voluntary re[straint agreements. il The United States Depart-!: ‘ment of Agriculture pro- I posed to issue on Monday 1 its estimate that meat im-,1 ports would reach a total of :

about 1.650 billion lb in 1980 [with no restraints, the officials said. An announcement on the > 1980 meat import programme would probably be. made at the same time on; [Monday, but might be de-j [laved until later next week,! [they said. In any case, the! officals said, total available [world meat supplies would: 'be below the trigger level of <1.668 billion lb. i The trigger level, and the; (quota level of 1.516 billion! lib. were established under [the counter-cyclical beef im-[ [port bill recently passed by the Congress. ! A White House aide said: that President Carter had! ■not yet signed the bill into Jaw but he was expected toi (do so soon. Because of the open market approach for 1980, the ■ Secretary for Agriculture (Mr Robert Bergland) would ; have to assess shipment' .levels each quarter to make" sure that total meat imports !

for the year would not exceed the trigger level, the .officials said. "If it seems that shipments will exceed the trigger level, the United States (could negotiate voluntary restraint agreements, lower (imports to the quota level, (or suspend the quotas so [that imports can exceed the (trigger point,” the officials said. j Several Administration [officials said that foreign nations would be more [likely to ship more meat to (the United States under voluntary restraint agreements. (Some countries might also [want to divert meat to the (United States next year [from other nations so they [would have a higher “base (period” when voluntary re-| j strain t agreements were .negotiated in future years, [they said. I If voluntary restraint! [agreements were negotiated: ‘in 1980, the level would' 'probably be set around 1.65: billion lb, the officials said.