South Korean imports of U.S. beef more than doubled in the first half of the year from a year earlier, making it the fourth-largest market for American beef exporters, data showed Sunday.
A total of 57,409 tons of U.S. beef were exported to the country in the January-June period, up 103.9 per cent from the same period a year earlier, according to the data by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The figure amounted to nearly 90 per cent of the 63,817 tons of U.S. beef South Korea brought in for all of 2009.
In the first half, South Korea was the fourth-largest importer of U.S. beef. Mexico was the top buyer, followed by Canada and Japan.
Given the current pace, industry sources predicted, South Korean imports of U.S. beef will likely exceed 100,000 tons for the whole of 2010, returning to the levels before Seoul’s import ban.
Seoul banned all U.S. beef imports in late 2003 when a case of mad cow disease was reported in the U.S. After long, drawn-out negotiations, South Korea lifted most of its restrictions by late July 2008.
Before the 2003 ban, U.S. beef accounted for 67 per cent of all meat imported by South Korea.
The U.S. wants South Korea to lift restrictions that limit the shipment of beef from cattle under 30 months old. Both sides are set to discuss the matter in the coming months.
(Yonhap)
