Us Decision On NZLamb Meat Disappointing For Farmers

New Zealand sheep farmers will be hoping for a sensible response from the US to today's ruling on lamb imports, Food, Fibre, Biosecurity and Border Control Minister John Luxton said today.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has determined that increased lamb imports are a "substantial cause of threat of serious injury" to the US sheep industry. The ITC will now address the question of what remedy if any it should recommend to address its findings.

"With falling commodity prices on top of the drought New Zealand sheep farmers are already hurting," Mr Luxton said.

"They and government will be watching the US Administration to see how it reacts to this decision and would be very concerned if any anti-competitive trade measures were proposed.

"The New Zealand industry and government's representations that both US and New Zealand returns can be improved by growing the US lamb market in competition with other meats are sound," Mr Luxton concluded.