The USTR is pressing ahead with proceedings against the EU ban on exports of U.S. beef, possibly including countervailing duties, following the collapse of TTIP talks. The timing is curious – it is too late for the current administration to complete and the future of the USTR is in flux. However, exports to Mexico are 17% of the total and fell 9% over the past year while those to Canada were 10% of the total and fell 18%. Beef may become an unwanted trade battlefront for the incoming Trump administration, exposing exporters including Tyson and JBS to risks.