S. Korea Becomes Largest US Beef Market
KOREA, SOUTH - South Korea became the largest export market for U.S. beef in September as local buyers moved to stockpile the meat in anticipation of greater demand down the road, a report showed Wednesday.
19 November 2008
1 minute read
The report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said U.S. beef exports to South Korea reached $89.24 million or 28 percent of the total for the cited month, according to Yonhap News.
The top ranking comes just three months after Seoul lifted its ban on U.S. beef imposed in late 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was reported.
The news agency says that a new import deal signed in April sparked massive protests by South Korean consumers, prompting Seoul and Washington to limit imports to meat from animals under 30 months old. The rules went into effect on June 26.
The USDA report showed shipments sent to South Korea exceeded those for Mexico and Canada, the second and third largest importers of U.S. beef, and the $29.70 million bought by Japan, which had been the largest market in Asia this year.
TheCattleSite News Desk
