14—Lancaster Farming. Saturday, Miy 10. 1975 U.S. Meat Imports Estimated Higher, Voluntary Curbs Due By FOREIGN COMMODITY ANALYSIS Dairy, Livestock, and Poultry Foreign Agricultural Service Af uj. negotiations with meat-supply- porting countries are closed to imports iog countries to voluntarily curb - -end -beef outpuHn-exporting-coontries - tbeir exports near completion, USDA has increased its estimate of 1975 meat 'imports subject to the Meat Import Law (P.L. 88-482) to 1.18 billion pounds. The new estimate, which was released on March 31, was revised upward as the voluntary restraint program became more clear, and is 30 million pounds above USDA’s first estimate of 1.15 bil lion pounds made December 31. In the absence of the restraint pro gram, however, USDA has estimated imports of meat under the Law above the point that would trigger import quotas. The program of voluntarily limiting imports is aimed mainly at protecting the U.S. market from excessive foreign supplies of meat, chiefly beef. The United States is currently the only sig nificant world market open to meat exporting countries. Although U.S. beef prices are not very encouraging for im ports, they may look better as 1975 goes on, especially since most other im HUNG UP WITH 1 HYDRAULIC HOOK-UPS? Make connecting non-standard couplers and tips easy! , Now, hook up your tractors hydraulic power to different kinds of couplers without removing or replacing anything' Safe Way adaptors let you hy draulically connect different makes of equipment without losing the safety breakaway and pressure connection features of your present couplers With Safe Way Adaptors you can make almost any hy draulic connection combination * is continuing to build. Even if negotiation of the voluntary curbs proves unsuccessful, the United States still has an ace in the hole.* The U.S. Meat Import Law, in effect since 1964, provides for quotas to be imposed on meat imports if estimated yearly im ports equal or exceed 110 percent of an adjusted base quantity. The law permits imports of covered meat, which are largely of frozen boneless beef for fur ther processing, to rise in proportion to increases in U.S. production, computed from a 1959-63 base. For 1975, the base quantity, as set by this formula, is 1,074.3 million pounds, product weight. Adding 10 percent over age, the actual point at which the Presi dent may take action under the Law to limit imports is 1,181.7 million pounds. The estimate of US. meat imports covered by the Law is reviewed and re vised quarterly. If imports are estimated above the trigger point, the President must invoke quotas. He may not, how ever, reduce imports permitted below FORD TRACTORS 2000 Gas CL 20 Loader 2000 Diesel C L 40 Loader 3000 Diesel g n 4000 Gas N A a 4000 SU Gas 600 4000 SU Diesel qqq 5000 Diesel "3non f2OO Diesel 6 X Diese . 5000 6 Y 3400 Diesel 4 50 0 TLB 5500 TLB KELLER BROS, TRACTOR CO. Buffalo Springs Call (717) 949-6501 10 Miles North of Lititz • certain level —thl* ypar 1,074.3 mil lion pounds. Last year, U.S. meat imports subject to the law were sharply below 1973's and were well under the quota trigger ing point. This year, however, the pace of imports has quickened ns trade re strictions elsewhere have made them selves felt. For the first 2 months of 1975. for example, imports rose to 233 million pounds—32.6 million more than was imported in these months last_ year. Any price improvementf from present levels will, of course, encourage still more imports. Although U.S. livestock producers, plagued by financial problems, have urged the imposition of quotas, the President has decided to try to nego tiate voluntary agreements with supply ing countries for a number of reasons. Most important, this approach is ex pected to make it easier for the United Slates to negotiate reductions in barriers to overseas sales of U.S. farm products. Import quotas, by contrast, could be detrimental to both U.S. agricultural ex ports and the U.S. economy as a whole. Further, the difference between the quantity of imports under voluntary restraints and the quota level is minor. The difference amounts to only about three-quarters of a pound of meat, car cass weight basis, for each U.S. con sumer. compared with the total 230 pounds of meat he is expected to con sume in 1975. This slight difference is expected to have only a negligible im- pact on U.S. livestock end meet prices. Most beef imported into the United States is of monufecturini quality for use in hamburgers or for further proc essing. As such, imports compete di rectly with culled cows or animals fed on grass or silage, rather than higher quality beef grain-finished in fecdlots. Because of higher U.S. prices of feed ingredients, slaughter of nonfed animals has grown dramatically over the past year and a half. " "■Ara~rßUTrdT this rn6rc«*£7rrprs3Qer tion. combined with the current eco nomic downturn, imported beef prices have been pressured down. At end- March, however, imported manufactur ing beef prices improved to about S 5 cents a pound, about the same as at the beginning of the year, but down by 24 cents from those of a year ago. Heavy U.S. slaughter of cows, os well as of nonfed steers and heifers, that is forecast for 1975 will tend to hold imported beef prices down. For the year, a 20 percent increase in U.S. cow slaughter is expected, which will come on top of a 20 percent rise recorded in 1974. Want to Find a New Recipe? Read Home on the Range.
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