ID :
31121
Wed, 11/19/2008 - 17:37
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/31121
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea becomes largest export market for U.S. beef: report
SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- 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 said Wednesday.
The report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed exports
to South Korea reaching US$89.24 million or 28 percent of the total for the cited
month.
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.
A new import deal signed in April sparked massive protests by concerned consumers
here, 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.
Mexico imported $77.91 million worth of U.S. beef, while Canada bought $58.93
million in September.
Mexico was the largest importer in terms of volume at 18,046 tons in the month,
compared to 16,642 tons for South Korea, although exports to the latter were more
expensive, premium cuts that fetched higher prices.
For the whole of this year, South Korea came in fourth after Mexico, Canada and
Japan by importing a total of $158.46 million worth of U.S. beef. The import
amount is high, given that the country imported no U.S. beef for the first six
months of the year.
On the sharp September increase, the local office of the US Meat Export
Federation (USMEF) said many importers have started stockpiling meat in the event
that major retail outlets and department stores decide to sell U.S. beef.
Large retailers have not sold U.S. beef out of concerns for negative publicity
and possible protests by civic groups, but there have been recent moves to
reevaluate this stance.
"This explains the surge in import orders and the limited number of local stores
and restaurants that handle U.S. beef," a USMEF spokesperson said. He added that
most of the meat imported so far is still in storage.
Others said that importers had signed import orders in advance, not guessing that
discount outlets and department stores would not handle beef for so long.
In a related development, the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service
(NVRQS) said that as of Tuesday, U.S. beef that has cleared customs since
September reached 32,628 tons versus 22,400 tons for Australian beef, which had
been the most popular in the country since 2004.
The NVRQS, meanwhile, said that 31.4 tons of U.S. beef has been rejected from
late June until October.
"Those that have failed to meet import requirements have either been sent back or
have been destroyed," an inspector said.
He said that the single largest reason for the rejection was lack of proper
inspection papers, followed by the violation of sanitary conditions outlined in
the revised import rules. These two reasons accounted for 28.2 tons.
The report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed exports
to South Korea reaching US$89.24 million or 28 percent of the total for the cited
month.
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.
A new import deal signed in April sparked massive protests by concerned consumers
here, 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.
Mexico imported $77.91 million worth of U.S. beef, while Canada bought $58.93
million in September.
Mexico was the largest importer in terms of volume at 18,046 tons in the month,
compared to 16,642 tons for South Korea, although exports to the latter were more
expensive, premium cuts that fetched higher prices.
For the whole of this year, South Korea came in fourth after Mexico, Canada and
Japan by importing a total of $158.46 million worth of U.S. beef. The import
amount is high, given that the country imported no U.S. beef for the first six
months of the year.
On the sharp September increase, the local office of the US Meat Export
Federation (USMEF) said many importers have started stockpiling meat in the event
that major retail outlets and department stores decide to sell U.S. beef.
Large retailers have not sold U.S. beef out of concerns for negative publicity
and possible protests by civic groups, but there have been recent moves to
reevaluate this stance.
"This explains the surge in import orders and the limited number of local stores
and restaurants that handle U.S. beef," a USMEF spokesperson said. He added that
most of the meat imported so far is still in storage.
Others said that importers had signed import orders in advance, not guessing that
discount outlets and department stores would not handle beef for so long.
In a related development, the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service
(NVRQS) said that as of Tuesday, U.S. beef that has cleared customs since
September reached 32,628 tons versus 22,400 tons for Australian beef, which had
been the most popular in the country since 2004.
The NVRQS, meanwhile, said that 31.4 tons of U.S. beef has been rejected from
late June until October.
"Those that have failed to meet import requirements have either been sent back or
have been destroyed," an inspector said.
He said that the single largest reason for the rejection was lack of proper
inspection papers, followed by the violation of sanitary conditions outlined in
the revised import rules. These two reasons accounted for 28.2 tons.
