US beef shipments to South Korea show substantial increase

US beef imports to South Korea surged in the first two months this year and there is speculation that consumer confidence in US beef has recovered.

Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp. said inbound shipments of US beef soared to 13,802 tonnes in the January-February period on a customs cleared basis, up 57.2% from the same period last year.

In terms of value, South Korea's beef imports from the United States gained 25.3 % to US$58.98 million during the reported period.

The trade corporation also said that US beef imports, which rose steadily last year, stood at 3,727 tonnes in February and 5,442 tonnes in August, exceeding 7,000 tonnes in December.

"As import figures are calculated on an annual basis, it may be too early to say that consumer confidence in US beef has been fully restored," a corporation official said.

South Korea lifted most restrictions on US beef in June 2008, a move that sparked nationwide rallies fuelled by fears of mad cow disease, causing domestic demand for US beef to remain weak amid the safety concerns.

The Korea Meat Import Association, however, claims that misconceptions regarding the safety of US beef are subsiding with the passage of time.

American beef enjoyed a 67 % market share in South Korea prior to the decision to halt imports from the US in late 2003 following the discovery of the first mad cow disease case there.