Baucus: Good for Chile for opening its market to US beef

“Chile’s announcement is proof that holding our trading partners accountable to international scientific standards can produce results that will help our economy grow,” Baucus said in a Thursday statement. “We need to continue to put pressure on countries including Korea, China and Taiwan that maintain unscientific restrictions on U.S. beef.”

The trade deal with Chile came as President Obama made a stop in the country in his trade-focused swing through South America, which also included visits to Brazil and El Salvador. 

In recent months, Baucus has stressed that he wants U.S. beef to have full market access to South Korea. A pending U.S.-Korea free trade pact is a top administration priority.

In February, Baucus and other senior lawmakers pressed the Taiwanese president to roll back his country’s restrictions to American beef.