Beef exports to the US get green light

Namibia beef export industry got a hefty boost following a decision by United States government earlier this week that will see the country export beef to the U.S.
A final ruling from the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service published on 13 July added Namibia to the list of countries eligible to export meat and meat products to the U.S.
The decision will see Namibia exporting boneless (not ground) raw beef products such as primal cuts, chuck, blade, and beef trimmings from certified establishments to the United States.
Namibia is the first African country on the list, where only 33 countries worldwide have been approved to export meat to the U.S.
In its application for approval, Namibia projected that beef exports to the United States could reach up to 860,000 kg in the first year, increasing to 5.7 million kg in five years. Namibia also received approval to export other meat products in the future by showing that those products meet other applicable U.S. requirements for those products.
Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador to Namibia Thomas Daughton welcomed the final rule and said, “This is truly great news and represents the culmination of literally years of hard work by officials of our two great nations”.
“This move opens an important new market to Namibian beef producers. I look forward to the day when Americans can grill Namibian beef on their backyard barbecues,” he added.
In the ruling, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service said that Namibia’s meat and meat products inspection system is equivalent to the United States inspection system. Meanwhile, the final rule published on July 13 takes full effect on 12 September.