Value of Membership

Business Environment

LEA provides daily updates of important information regarding the overall business environment for exporters and their supporting industry to its members:

  • Daily summaries of livestock industry markets and changes in the domestic marketplace where our animals are produced.
  • Daily updates on changes in APHIS and other agencies regulations.
  • As needed updates on news and trade information.

LEA works closely with the variety of agencies interacting with foreign governments and potential buyers making inquiries overseas:

  • LEA leadership travels annually to a number of foreign countries to build relationships with potential partners in overseas markets and to conduct peer-to-peer conversations that will lead to efficient and effective protocol for trade between the two parties.
  • LEA suppors U.S.-based agencies with industry-wide input and perspective on the trade agenda.
  • LEA members set the agenda for these activities on an annual basis.

LEA works closely with members, industry participants and other associations to develop appropriate standards for the industry:

  • In the past few years the development of new standards for human handling and improvements, livestock traceability, and
  • Updates to the Code of Conduct for exporters has helped U.S.-based exporters avoid many of the challenges faced by our competitors overseas.

Development of Certification Options for U.S.-based Exporters

As countries have changed their requirements for documenting the integrity of the animals involved in exports — breeding and production certification documents — LEA has worked to ensure that producers have options available:

  • In the past 12 months, LEA and AgSource worked closely to develop an industry based and privately funded means by which all US based exporters could meet the demands of importing nations – specifically Turkey and Russia.
  • LEA leadership traveled to Turkey and Russia to directly discuss the needs of the marketplace and ensure that our certification documents would meet those demands
  • The new certification documents can also meet the needs of tomorrow’s exports.
  • Through improved documentation of genetic criteria there will be no need to develop all new documentation and gain approval for those documents in foreign countries.
  • LEA members receive discounted rates for all of these services.

LEA serves the entire industry:

  • LEA believes our overall goal is to increase exports nationwide, therefore documentation and services associated with certification are available to all U.S.-based exporters, not just LEA members.

Trade Leads

  • LEA membership at the full rate allows those members to receive trade leads immediately.
  • LEA membership in a variety of other organizations also allows LEA members to gain access to trade lead information that is available well before that information is available in the marketplace.
  • LEA provides a bi-annual summary of ‘interest’ to Federal agencies that allows those agencies to better target their actions to markets where real demand is occurring and interest is recognized.

Education Opportunities

  • LEA membership allows for sharply discounted rates—in some cases free participation-- in educational seminars, meetings and other activities throughout the year.
  • LEA hosts a number of ‘reverse’ trade missions annually that allow for members to meet and greet potential foreign buyers and to interact with future customers.
  • LEA attends and presents at trade shows and conferences in at least 3 countries each year. LEA members may participate in these events at no additional charge to support the broader industry education efforts to recruit foreign buyers. In the 2017/18 marketing year:

• Algeria
• China
• Germany

• France
• Middle East – Dubai

• South Africa
• Vietnam

BECOME A MEMBER

Copyright © 2023 Livestock Exporters Association

4610 N Kenton Ave, Chicago, IL 60630

Phone: [US] (1) 773.725.1106    |   Fax: [US] (1) 773.725.2294

rpaullin@livestockexportusa.com