South Korea Reopens To Boneless U.S. Beef

The government of South Korea announced that it has lifted the quarantine it had imposed on U.S. beef imports after product intended for U.S. domestic consumption – which contained bones - was mistakenly exported to them. South Korea, once the third-largest buyer of U.S. beef, agreed to resume imports of the meat in January 2006 while restricting them to boneless cuts from animals aged 30 months or younger.

Department of Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary Chuck Lambert said he hopes the temporary disruption won't impede progress on fully opening South Korea to all U.S. beef. ``We're pleased to have trade back on track,'' he said. The disruption briefly threatened a U.S. and South Korea free-trade accord reached in April valued at as much as $29 billion per year.