|
The Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska recently resolved to urge Congress to block meat imports from Argentina. ICON also wants Congress to force Argentina to pay its debts. Argentina cattle herds have had disease problems, most notably Foot and Mouth Disease. Also, countries like Argentina have the ability to honor debt obligations but refuse to do so, ICON says, and should repay money owed to U.S. businesses. “Argentina has proven time and time again that it is not a friend to rural America,” said ICON president Dave Wright. “The time has come for our government to hold them accountable for their actions.” Congress is in session this week, and ICON has contacted the Nebraska delegation to urge that Argentine problems be dealt with expeditiously. The “Foot and Mouth Disease Prevention Act” and the “Judgment Evading Foreign State Accountability Act” have been introduced. Other observations about the situation, according to ICON: -- Many nations have a perennial problem with Foot and Mouth Disease, which inhibits their ability to export beef; and the United States has been FMD free for more than 80 years and is therefore able to export beef to wide areas of the world, ICON says. -- Argentina is still dealing with an outbreak of FMD that was brought there illegally across unmonitored borders. -- Argentina has a long history of credit defaults, corrupt and undemocratic governments, and graft among its civil servants. -- Argentina has ignored U.S. court judgments to repay debts to American businesses and taxpayers, and Argentina’s default has harmed teacher pension funds, tied up needed money from American banks, and given Argentine businesses an unfair advantage over international competitors. -- The U. S. Department of Agriculture has proposed the regionalization of Argentina to permit large areas of that nation to be declared FMD- free. -- Such status would immediately establish significant price differentials within the nation which could give rise to FMD infected animals being brought across these internal lines in the infected nations for possible export to other nations; and -- FMD is an extremely contagious disease that would impose devastating consequences on the U.S. beef herd if it were unleashed in the United States.
| 
Quick Links
