U.S. cattle producers are poised to recover from challenges during the global pandemic more quickly than their competitors, said Kent Bacus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Sr. Director of International Trade and Market Access.

“It’s important that we’re able to deliver the greatest profit margin possible to our producers, and any way that trade policy can help in that process and help us really tap into the 96 percent of consumers that live outside of our borders, then that is the direction that NCBA wants us to pursue, and that’s what we focus on day after day,” said Bacus, whose job is to expand market access for U.S. beef exports and bridge the gap between the government and cattle producers.

Bacus spoke about a number of trade negotiations underway for U.S. beef, in places like the United Kingdom, Japan and China. Emerging markets include the Southeast Asian region, particularly countries like Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Strong economic growth in those areas brings opportunities for U.S. cattle producers as people look to include higher quality protein into their diets.