People attending the 2018 Chicken Marketing Summit will get a chance to learn more about trade issues concerning the poultry industry as Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) will share his insights as part of a panel discussion.
The event is scheduled for July 21-23 in Orlando, Florida. The theme for the 2018 summit is “Survive and thrive in disruptive times.”
Sumner, who is also president of the International Poultry Council and the World Poultry Foundation will participate in the panel discussion, “How to win with poultry in disruptive times.” He said his participation in the panel will be “related solely to the export side of the discussion.”
Sumner said presently the U.S. poultry industry is presented with challenges of uncertainties with trade agreements and certain markets that are closed. But the industry also has opportunities with recently opened markets.
“There are different things we can discuss. We can discuss some of our trade disruptions that are currently in play,” Sumner said.
Export challenges
Concerning to Sumner and USAPEEC is further fallout with Mexico over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations.
Also of concern is trade with Canada. Presently the U.S. poultry industry is “very restricted” in terms of exports to Canada. NAFTA’s impact on trade with Canada is less of a factor than the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), from which the Trump administration withdrew, could have had if it came into fruition, he said.
However, Sumner said the biggest challenge is with China, which still has a ban on U.S. poultry imports because of the country’s stated worries over the spread of avian influenza.
South Korea has also delisted some U.S. poultry plants, Sumner stated.
Export opportunities
The U.S. poultry industry may not have access to ship to China, the world’s most populous country, but it did recently gain access to India, the world’s second largest country in terms of population.
“We now have access to that market for the very first time,” Sumner said.
The U.S. has also obtained access to the African countries of Morocco and Namibia, with estimated populations of 33.8 million and 2.4 million, respectively.
Also at Chicken Marketing Summit
Others taking part in the panel discussion with Sumner will be:
- Dr. Mark Cooper, director of product testing, Cobb-Vantress
- Steve Sands, vice president of protein, Performance Food Group
- Brian Coan, chief customer officer, George’s Inc.
The panel discussion will be one of 10 sessions at the summit, which will bring together chicken marketers and buyers, as well as many of the poultry industry’s allied partners.
