Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, who headed the Workplace of the U.S. Commerce Consultant beneath the Trump administration, has been chosen to obtain the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s Michael J. Mansfield Award. USMEF established the award in recognition of the U.S. Senate majority chief and ambassador to Japan whose 5 many years of presidency service superior U.S. commerce relations all through the world.
Leann Saunders, co-founder of The place Meals Comes From, will obtain the USMEF Distinguished Service Award. This award honors excellent figures within the crimson meat trade who exemplify the distinctive, particular person dedication chargeable for the federation’s success. Each awards might be introduced Nov. 10 on the USMEF Strategic Planning Convention in Oklahoma Metropolis.
“I am really honored to obtain the Michael J. Mansfield Award,” Lighthizer mentioned. “I’ve identified among the different recipients they usually all did an excellent job for this nation. We labored carefully with USMEF by a number of negotiations and hopefully did a superb job for the individuals USMEF represents. I am grateful for the 20-hour days we get from our farmers and ranchers, and the truth is, when they’re profitable America is extra profitable.”
Throughout his time at USTR, Lighthizer spearheaded key commerce agreements that expanded alternatives for U.S. crimson meat. This included the Part One Financial and Commerce Settlement with China, which achieved significant entry for U.S. beef for the primary time within the post-BSE period and lowered commerce obstacles for U.S. pork.
“Within the case of China, President Trump took very robust actions to attempt to start to rebalance that relationship,” Lighthizer mentioned. “Within the closing evaluation, farmers, ranchers and agribusiness hung in there with the president and we ended up with a extremely whole lot. I believe Part One was a historic settlement for lots of causes, however actually one among them was what it completed for the meat trade.”
Lighthizer additionally led negotiation of the U.S.-Japan Commerce Settlement, which lowered tariffs for U.S. pork and beef and leveled the enjoying area within the extremely aggressive Japanese market – the very best worth vacation spot for U.S. crimson meat exports.
“Once I spoke to individuals in regards to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, they informed me it principally got here right down to rising agricultural gross sales to Japan,” Lighthizer defined. “And that is actually what we did within the Japan settlement. We bought virtually all the advantages of TPP, however with out having to pay the value in different sectors.”
Ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Settlement was additionally a significant achievement. Whereas USMCA didn’t make main adjustments in North American meat commerce, its passage calmed commerce tensions with Mexico and Canada and preserved duty-free entry for U.S. crimson meat in these important export markets. Lighthizer additionally oversaw the trouble to determine a U.S.-specific allocation of the European Union’s duty-free beef quota, securing extra dependable, year-round entry for U.S. beef within the high-value EU market.
USMEF Distinguished Service Award recipient Leann Saunders is co-founder of The place Meals Comes From Inc., a frontrunner in meals verification and certification and livestock identification and traceability programs. IMI World, a division of The place Meals Comes From, was instrumental in creating identification, traceability and verification programs that assisted the U.S. beef trade in assembly particular export necessities following the primary U.S. case of BSE in 2003. At this time the corporate’s packages allow ranchers, growers, feeders, packers and processors to fulfill particular export or non-public model label necessities associated to manufacturing practices.
Saunders beforehand labored for PM Beef Holdings, the place she developed the first-ever USDA Course of Verified Program for U.S. beef, and for McDonald’s Company and Hudson Meals Company. Her involvement with USMEF dates again to her time as a pupil at Colorado State College, the place Saunders earned bachelor’s and grasp’s levels and developed a strong curiosity within the international development potential for U.S. agricultural exports.
“USMEF holds a pricey place in my coronary heart, and has for a really very long time,” she mentioned. “As a pupil, I had some actually nice mentors in my undergraduate and graduate packages – individuals like Dr. Gary Smith and Dr. Tom Subject who uncovered me to the good work USMEF was doing and the assist it gives to the meat, pork, lamb and grain industries.”
Appreciative of the steering that helped her obtain a profitable profession in agriculture, Saunders makes it a precedence to mentor younger individuals and assist foster the subsequent technology of U.S. agricultural leaders. She at present serves on the board of administrators for the College of Nebraska’s Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program and on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Colorado State College Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.
“I really feel very strongly about giving again, the identical means individuals gave up their time to assist put me able to succeed,” Saunders mentioned. “There may be a number of pleasure about agriculture amongst younger individuals right now, and the worldwide markets are particularly intriguing for them. They’ll find out about what’s taking place world wide in a means that helps U.S. agriculture and that helps those that work day-after-day to feed the world in a sustainable method.”
Lists of previous recipients of the Michael J. Mansfield Award and the USMEF Distinguished Service Award can be found from the USMEF web site. Extra data on the USMEF Strategic Planning Convention can also be accessible on-line.
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