Consumer Preference for Domestic Versus International Beef

The world is becoming more of a global market place and trade agreements between nations continue to reduce barriers to trade. Increasing trade affects all sectors of the United States’ economy including the beef industry. International trade has both positive and engative impacts on the U.S. consumer and the domestic beef industry. One of the benefits of trade is that consumers are presented with a greater variety of products to choose from in the market place. Consumers also benefit from imports when domestic beef production is low and more beef is imported to increase supply and maintain a consistent retail price. Imports of beef during 1999 totaled almost eleven percent of the U.S.’s total beef production (Livestock Market Information Center, 2000). Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Argentina are the four largest exporters of beef to the U.S