In September, the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) sent a delegation to Tokyo, Japan, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the inaugural USMEF office opened in the city in 1977.

Japan remains crucial to the US export market, and the association felt like it was an appropriate time to celebrate the long-standing relationship.

So, for this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, we talked with Dan Halstrom, president and chief executive officer for USMEF on what this mission meant for his group and their Japanese counterparts.

Near the beginning of the episode, Halstrom looked back at the historical perspective of working with Japan and what it meant to the growth of USMEF.

Later, Halstrom explained some of the activities US representatives could participate in that showcased American red meat and provided an overview of factors impacting demand for red meat in Japan.

He also shared what it meant to have delegates from various sectors of the US agriculture industry up and down the red meat supply chain.

Near the end, Dan gives some general thoughts on what the export market looks like for 2022.