Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue celebrated the reintroduction of American pork products to the Argentine market today after a more than 20-year absence by slicing a ten-pound honey baked ham.

“The U.S. is the world’s third largest pork producer and a top exporter,”Perdue said. “This new market is a big victory for American farmers and ranchers. I am confident that once the people of Argentina get a taste of American pork products, they will only want more. This is a great day for our agriculture community and an example of how the Trump Administration is committed to supporting our producers by opening new markets for their products.”

The return of U.S. pork products to Argentina was sealed during Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Buenos Aires. Technical staff from USDA and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative have been working with Argentina’s Ministry on the terms of the agreement that are practical, science-based and consistent with relevant international animal health standards.

As President Trump and President Macri agreed in a Joint Statement in April 2017 in Washington, both countries are committed to further expansion of agricultural trade between the United States and Argentina.

U.S. pork was banned from Argentina since 1992.

Source: USDA