Sheep Ranchers Complain USTR Hasn't Asked for Safeguard Investigation
Sheep ranchers in the U.S. are complaining that U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai hasn't asked the International Trade Commission to open a safeguard investigation for mutton and lamb imports, more than a year after they first asked for the action.
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"We recently received anecdotal information indicating that at least some employees in your office do not believe that imported lamb and mutton are causing injury to our domestic sheep industry. If this is the case, we would greatly appreciate word from you regarding whether your office intends to call for an investigation into this matter," they wrote in a Sept. 5 letter. "If not, then we will pursue other options as it is our mission to take the necessary steps to rebuild and revitalize this important domestic industry."
Protect American Lamb, a project of the R-CALF USA Sheep Committee, says that the volume of imported lamb and mutton increased by more than 38% in the first half of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023.
"The dire condition of our domestic sheep industry described to you in our August 2023 petition continues to worsen and we are disappointed that our petition, which represents a first meaningful step in mitigating this ongoing crisis, appears to have been ignored," they wrote.