UK Resumes Bone-in Beef Exports to Hong Kong
UK - EBLEX has helped secure the revival of bone-in beef exports from the UK to Hong Kong.
4 June 2012
1 minute read
Beef rib cuts and other specified bone-in products, except vertebral column cuts, from cattle less than 30 months old can now be exported to Hong Kong.
Boneless beef from cattle of all ages is already exported there.
The agreement was reached in principle at a joint meeting between Defra, EBLEX and the Hong Kong authorities in December. The administrative procedures have now been completed and trade can commence.
It is part of a staged approach agreed with the Hong Kong authorities which will in time also see the market open to 5th quarter products.
Hong Kong suspended beef imports from the UK in March 1996, amid the BSE crisis. The import of boneless beef, excluding offal from cattle less than 30 months old, resumed in June 2009.
Peter Hardwick, head of trade development for EBLEX, said: "Exports are a key area for us and this announcement is the culmination of work by Defra, supported closely by EBLEX, which has resulted in an agreement to resume bone-in beef exports to Hong Kong.
"Up until now, we could only export boneless beef under 30 months there, so this is a significant step. Importantly, it also acknowledges stringent BSE control measures which the UK has in place, reassuring export markets about the quality and safety of our beef."
TheCattleSite News Desk
