New Zealand to make its case on lamb at US trade hearing
New Zealand officials will attend a US International Trade Commission hearing in Washington DC on 1 December to make the case on lamb imports, according to RNZ. The commission is a US government agency that is examining lamb imports, and the hearing is part of its remedies stage, the stage at which it considers what action, if any, should follow.
The commission's report on lamb imports will be presented to President Donald Trump, who will make the final decision. A final US decision is not expected until March 2027.
The stakes are measured in trade value and tariffs. New Zealand beef and lamb exports to the US are worth $660 million a year, and they currently face a 13.2 percent tariff, a tax on imported goods.
Beef and Lamb chair Kate Acland said the US commissioners were evenly split on whether New Zealand lamb imports hurt US producers. Acland also said New Zealand sends the equivalent of 9 million lambs' worth of racks to the US, while US producers supply the equivalent of 2 million lambs' worth.
Trade Minister Todd McClay said New Zealand is taking the US lamb investigation very seriously. He said New Zealand lamb is not causing harm in the US market. McClay said the final decision on lamb measures is up to President Trump.
