U.S. Meat Producer Tyson Foods Eyeing Kazakhstan Expansion

RFE
24 May 2019, 05:16 GMT+10

WASHINGTON -- Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat producer, says it is eyeing expansion into Kazakhstan as it seeks growth overseas.

'We've visited Kazakhstan and have interest in the nation's future food production efforts. However, we have not formalized plans for a project there,' company spokeswoman Liz Croston said in a statement e-mailed to RFE/RL on May 23.

The Springdale, Arkansas-based company produces beef, pork, chicken and processed foods, including goods for export.

Tyson Foods does not have any production facilities in Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union, Croston said.

'One of our growth strategies is to expand our global business, so it's not unusual for us to consider various international opportunities,' she said.

The Financial Times reported on May 23 that Tyson was negotiating a multibillion-dollar investment in beef production in Kazakhstan for potential export to China. The two countries share a nearly 1,800-kilometer border.

In July 2018, Beijing imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on U.S. beef imports in retaliation for U.S. levies on Chinese goods.

As a result, U.S. beef exports to China ''have dropped off precipitously,'' the United States Department of Agriculture said in an August report.

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