Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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376. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quota regime in operation since 2009 pertaining to US hormone-free beef exports annually to the EU in terms of tonnage and value; and the amount of the annual quota that has been used each year in tabular form. [19754/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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In 2009, the European Union and the United States concluded an agreement which provided for an interim solution to their long-standing WTO dispute regarding the use of certain growth-promoting hormones in beef production.

Under the agreement, in return for US assurances not to raise sanctions, the European Union opened a tariff rate quota, on an autonomous and MFN basis (open to all qualifying countries, including the US), for imports of 20,000 tons of high quality beef at zero duty, in line with all EU import requirements, including that it must be hormone-free. This tariff rate quota was increased to 45,000 tonnes after three years.

The annual use of quota over the period in question, as per information from the European Commission, is attached. The detail on the value of these imports is not available.