President Trump, joined by trade representatives and members of the U.S. beef industry, recently signed a trade agreement with the European Union (EU) that will designate a larger duty-free quota of U.S. beef to the European meat market.

The past year has been marked by several trade disputes between the U.S. and key trade partners. According to an online poll, producers consider China the most vital U.S. trade partner.

The volatile trade negotiations that have taken place between the U.S. and Mexico over the last few months are leaving the U.S. beef industry on edge and unsure of the future.

After months of negotiations, U.S. and Japan trade officials have reached an agreement that will give U.S. beef unrestricted access to Japan’s competitive meat market. 

President Donald Trump announced last week that he would be postponing the next round of duties on Chinese goods scheduled to go into effect March 1, thanks to a round of “productive” trade talks between U.S. and Chinese officials that has been taking place throughout the last month.

Evolving market dynamics make it easy to underestimate how the impacts and costs of trade issues will continue to grow in 2019. Many agricultural markets have been impacted thus far, and the damage will grow and spread unless resolutions are forthcoming promptly. Trade issues will have accumulating impacts in a variety of ways as more time passes.