Particularly the decision to work with Hong Kong on this relatively complex incremental access was a sign of great hope for our industry, because we showed our cooperative face to increase access step by step, in a way that at each step provided additional economic returns to our industry.
Yes, it is a big challenge, but re-establishing trade with South Korea and mainland China; moving Japan up from under-21-month beef to under-30-month beef; adding bone-in to Russia, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia; and allowing Mexico to move up to over-30-month beef is the trade fix. It's not impossible, but it takes a strategic and new approach, with focused resources and a trade-first strategy, with an economic philosophy and focus, rather than continuing to treat it as a long-term tactical, technical challenge. Bring our best negotiators to the table and create a negotiation strategy that reflects the vitality of the benefit, should we come over the top on these relatively few markets.
These markets have the ability to move us back from creeping pessimism to creeping optimism. The shedding of cows stops when optimism enters our industry, and regrowth begins when we begin to trade broadly. Our industry can support a six-million-head cow herd on the basis of our strong domestic trade, great work in the U.S., and worldwide profitable trade.