Following demands from U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and a bipartisan group of colleagues, President Trump has finalized an agreement with China to lift its beef import ban and allow Missouri ranchers to export their beef to China.

“This is outstanding news for Missouri ranchers who can support more jobs and increase their profits by tapping in to the second largest beef importer in the world,” McCaskill said. “This expanded access will serve our state’s growing agricultural economy well—because when Missouri producers compete on a level playing field, we win.

In April, McCaskill and 38 other Senators sent a bipartisan letter to President Trump ahead of his meeting with the Chinese President demanding him to prioritize the negotiations to open up the Chinese market to U.S. beef. “The U.S. produces the highest quality of beef in the world, and ensuring that U.S. beef is treated fairly and foreign tax and regulatory barriers are lowered is of utmost importance,” wrote McCaskill and her colleagues. “We are confident that given a level-playing field, U.S. ranchers can compete successfully and increase exports in any foreign market.”

McCaskill is a longtime advocate for ensuring Missouri’s farmers and ranchers have the resources and markets they need to succeed. She embarked on a statewide Agriculture Tour in the summer of 2015 where she heard directly from a wide variety of producers, farmers, ranchers, researchers and other stakeholders in all corners of the state on Missouri’s agriculture needs.