Letter to Li Keqiang, Chinese Premier - Daines Urges Chinese Premier to Open Markets to U.S. Beef

Letter

Dear Premier Li:

We write to thank you for your hospitality during our Congressional delegation's visit to the People's Republic of China last month and to raise once again the important issue of U.S. beef being denied access to China's market since 2003. We hope you were able to enjoy the steaks delivered from a Montana ranch and were able to experience first-hand the high- quality beef that U.S. ranchers can provide to Chinese consumers.

We were encouraged by the announcement by China's Ministry of Agriculture in September 2016 that China would lift its ban on U.S. beef. Technical issues still remain, however, and during our Congressional delegation visit, you indicated that the U.S. lacking a Senate-confirmed Secretary of Agriculture was an impediment to resolving this issue. We respectfully request that following the recent confirmation of the Honorable Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture, you prioritize reaching an agreement that allows Chinese consumers to have the opportunity to enjoy high-quality U.S. beef and direct all relevant agencies within your government to do the same.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to continuing to work with you to address these issues and reach a resolution that is mutually beneficial to our countries.

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