U.S. beef imports more than double in H1

SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Yonhap) -- 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 percent from the same period a year earlier,
according to the data by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The figure amounted to nearly 90 percent 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 percent 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.
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