Unfortunate the only nation who has the power to convince others joining this ban, is one of the worst abusers of antibiotics.
Consumers might have a choice, if they are wealthy enough to afford it. If you are a beef consumer, eat beef from Namibia, where antibiotics for animals are banned, and avoid US or South Africa. Ask you butcher, if he can offer antibiotic free meat.
I'm curious as to just exactly how you think the US is going to convince China, Russia, India, etc to ban antibiotics? The US could obviously afford to do so, as the incremental cost in the price of animal protein (due to smaller yields) could be absorbed by modifications to eating habits or redistribution models (i.e. food stamps).
I'm not sure the same could be said in some of the countries that are much larger and have huge difficulties with food production/distribution already.
Why? The problem isn't giving antibiotics to animals. Antibiotics are useful for animals the same way they are useful for controlling disease in humans. The problem is abuse of antibiotics.
So in short, yes the problem is giving it to animals.
If there is no safe use, then what matters is risk vs. reward, right? There is real utility (reward) to using antibiotics on animals, and I don't see how we can simply blanket rule it out.