The European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) has called for targeted trade negotiations between the US and the EU to address the impact of US tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, and EU counter-tariffs on US agricultural products, particularly feed grains. FEFAC warns that these tariffs could threaten feed security and the competitiveness of the EU livestock sector.
Pedro Cordero, FEFAC president, expressed concern that the proposed tariffs could disrupt vital feed supply chains. The EU relies on imports of protein-rich feed products like soybeans, as well as corn, feed grains, and feed additives such as lysine, where the EU faces a structural deficit. Cordero emphasized the long-standing partnership between US and EU feed sectors and the potential negative effects these tariffs could have on global feed and food security.
Cordero urged both the US and EU administrations to engage in direct negotiations to remove the tariffs, which would strengthen EU livestock production systems. He suggested exploring targeted trade agreements to boost transatlantic trade in feed grains and additives, aiming to double current trade from EUR 4 billion to EUR 8 billion, thus reducing the US agricultural trade deficit with the EU.
Cordero pointed to the 2018 “Trump/Juncker” agreement, which significantly increased US soy exports to the EU, as a model for expanding trade to include a broader range of US feed products and additives, as part of the western strategy to reduce reliance on China for these essential supplies.