The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded the Phase One China Trade Deal signing, saying this agreement will lay the groundwork for American-produced beef to be highly competitive in the world’s most populous market.

“The Phase-One Agreement with China will be a game changer for the U.S. beef industry,” said NCBA President Jennifer Houston, who joined President Trump at the White House for today’s event. “For many years, Chinese consumers have been denied access to high-quality U.S. beef—the same U.S. beef we feed to our families. Non-scientific trade barriers like the ban on production technologies, the extensive traceability requirements, and the 30-month BSE restriction have greatly limited our ability to tap into growing beef demand in China. The removal of these massive trade barriers gives Chinese consumers access to the U.S. beef they desire, and it gives America’s cattlemen and cattlewomen the opportunity to provide U.S. beef to a growing consumer-base that represents one-fifth of the global population and a middle-class that is greater than the entire U.S. population.”

Houston joined Kent Bacus, NCBA director of international trade and market access, for a press call Wednesday afternoon to discuss what the agreement means for beef producers.