MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Asunción's Lower House condemns US Senate's decision banning Paraguayan beef

After the first shipment in January, Paraguay's beef is facing a Congressional rejection in Washington DC

Paraguay's Lower House unanimously passed a resolution objecting to the US Senate's decision to ban meat imports from the South American country while urging lawmakers in Washington DC to honor the technical reports attesting to the safety of the merchandise, it was reported in Asunción.

The Paraguayan legislators claimed that such a move would be pivotal to “maintaining good relations between both countries.” Lower House Speaker Raúl Latorre's initiative was fully endorsed by the body's plenum. Paraguay has the best meat in international markets, the lawmakers also contended.

“We believe that the American people, as well as the people of the rest of the world from very important countries, with important quality standards, such as Israel, Germany, Chile, who import Paraguayan meat, do not force their consumers to buy this meat, and our quality makes that in a daily exercise of tougher democracy, the consumer chooses Paraguayan meat over all other competitors in the world. That is all we are asking for, an opportunity,” Latorre argued.

“This decision of the US Senate is framed, and can only be understood, within the framework of an electoral situation and in an exacerbated protectionism of its market 'considering the future elections in that country' and overlook technical decisions taken by specialized agencies, based on years of scientific analysis, thus affecting the credibility of its own institutions and bilateral relations with a strategic ally in political, economic and social matters, such as Paraguay,” the rationale went on.

Given the seriousness and urgency of the situation, due to the declaration, it is appropriate that the Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay, “issue a statement in which, on the one hand, rejects such joint resolution of the US Senate and, secondly, urges US legislators and authorities of that country to adopt an objective position based on technical criteria and not on pressures from interested sectors, respecting the principles of equality, reciprocity, cooperation, and solidarity that should prevail in international relations,” the declaration further stated.

After the March 21 decision by the US Senate halting the clearance of Paraguayan meat shipments, Agriculture Minister Carlos Giménez highlighted that such a step affected the work of the sanitary beef agency “Senacsa and the unions.” He insisted it was a politically motivated move that needed to be reverted through bold lobbying.

“Paraguay has an enviable sanitary status and will demand that it be respected and not manipulated for political reasons,” Giménez underlined. Paraguay passed all the sanitary tests and requirements to enter the North American market and sent its first beef shipment in January.

However, an initiative submitted by Senator Jon Tester against the purchase of Paraguayan meat under the argument of the danger of the entry of foot-and-mouth disease finally succeeded and has been now passed on to the House of Representatives.

In this scenario, Paraguayan Senator Basilio “Bachi” Núñez said that a trip to the United States to lift this blockade was not to be ruled out.

“We are also going to issue a draft declaration supporting exporters and cattle breeders, in which we will reject and urge the US Congress to respect the technical reports that certify the origin of fresh and healthy beef from Paraguay,” he said.

”The information we are handling (about the position of the US Senate) is due to a political internalism as a consequence of the upcoming elections in the United States. There are, at the same time, states that are very powerful in livestock production. The reopening of the beef market was achieved after 25 years, it is up to us to defend, that is why we are seeing if a delegation can approach the US Congress,” Núñez stressed.