[2005/12/31]/ Q. o; N4 H+ Q7 b, Y; q3 I
Hong Kong Agrees To Open Market to U.S. Beef
; k0 _! g0 x: c5 MUnited States recovers most of beef trade lost since late 2003
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% q$ @& k' g5 B6 S7 Q8 n eWashington -- The United States has reached agreement with Hong Kong for the* s" E" v7 p9 R) w: O
reopening of Hong Kong's market to U.S. boneless beef from cattle younger
# X1 k. k7 ?% \! B1 Kthan 30 months.7 X& _2 b0 J; v1 c5 z1 G* J
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With the Hong Kong agreement, announced December 29 by U.S. Agriculture
* ~3 p, G3 J, y# z& z* C/ z5 @! SSecretary Mike Johanns, the United States has recovered 74 percent of its
6 Q: K: C* \) B# b' f5 K6 i2 v4 wbeef export market that closed down after a case of bovine spongiform
0 I. J$ s0 I* c6 |3 \0 `encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, was found in December% i* Z7 \* k: T
2003 in an older U.S. cow imported from Canada.
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9 t. S. F2 i( f0 bThe agreement follows a December 11 announcement by the Agriculture
# f+ r% q- L. ]8 VDepartment that the United States and Japan agreed to reopen Japanese
& ]% ?1 h9 I- e( {* @+ [markets to imports of U.S. beef.
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+ M$ J& f! ?7 C, ^4 a/ _2 |In 2004 and 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) significantly/ Q# W8 u4 D7 u& }+ r$ F7 w) ~5 Q# h; X
stepped up its beef cow testing and surveillance program.+ D: {. ^, y9 y, V: F$ @ O
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Part of the latter effort -- to detect early any apparent case of BSE and to
& {, {* g, [) g& N+ m; _contain the disease if needed -- has been the implementation of an animal
; A' E" h* E) x3 jidentification system to aid in tracking suspected or diagnosed sick- j" L z8 d. g) i
animals.1 c, Y& O8 W- _: e& Z
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"This agreement follows Hong Kong's determination that U.S. control measures( T, J2 a5 P6 Y! F! K% C9 s
effectively ensure the safety of our beef," Johanns said in a statement.
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"USDA will continue to focus our efforts on opening additional markets in
+ e( K' b( h7 F7 k7 T2 _Asia and around the world by promoting the use of science-based regulations
( _, F; V9 B* K7 sin global beef trade," he said.
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In 2003, Hong Kong was the fifth largest market for U.S. beef products. |