WASHINGTON — The US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) announced the recipients of the Michael J. Mansfield Award and the Distinguished Service Award, which will be presented at the USMEF Strategic Planning Conference in New Orleans, Nov. 9.

Terry Branstad, former US ambassador to China and longtime governor of Iowa, has been selected to receive the Michael J. Mansfield Award. USMEF established the award in recognition of the US Senate majority leader and ambassador to Japan, whose five decades of government service advanced US trade relations throughout the world. 

During his service as both an ambassador and governor, Branstad prioritized the advancement of US agricultural exports. While Branstad led the US Embassy in Beijing, the United States and China entered the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, which gave US beef its first meaningful access to the market in 17 years. The agreement also reduced barriers for US pork exports to China. 

“When given a level playing field, US farmers and ranchers will thrive in the international marketplace,” Branstad said. “This is why it is so important to eliminate trade barriers and give our agricultural producers a fair opportunity to compete. I am proud to have played some role in improving global market access for American products, and it has been gratifying to see US agriculture capitalize on these opportunities.” 

Receiving the USMEF Distinguished Service Award, which honors outstanding figures in the red meat industry who exemplify exceptional individual responsibility to the federation’s success, is Bill Westman. Westman had a 29-year career with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), served as senior vice president of international affairs for the North American Meat Institute and is now president of William Westman and Associates LLC, a boutique consulting firm specializing in agricultural trade policy, export market development, and strategic planning.

Westman’s time as an FAS foreign service officer included postings in China, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Germany, Brazil and Venezuela. He also served as interim agricultural attaché for Colombia. During his time with the Meat Institute, Westman identified global growth opportunities and worked to overcome trade barriers. In his current role at William Westman and Associates, he continues to advance global opportunities for the US meat supply chain.

“When I worked in the Caribbean islands, there was a little bit of the hotel restaurant trade, but the general markets were pretty much closed and the tourism industry was really just developing in the Dominican Republic [DR],” Westman said. “Today the DR and Colombia are tremendous markets for US red meat, and demand is expanding throughout Central America as well. This is the result of great persistence and collaboration, with everyone working together on trade policy, which has really made a difference in expanding the footprint of US red meat internationally.”