April 18, 2007

South Korea's US pork imports escalate over beef ban

Imports of US pork by South Korea have more than doubled in the past three years due to scare of

mad cow disease contaminating American beef and beef products, reports the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on April 16. Pork imports increased 268.5 percent last year compared to 2003, from 36,079 tonnes to more than 132,932 tonnes, according to the USDA tally. 

US beef imports in 2006 were pegged at 581 tonnes or 0.2 percent of what South Korea used to buy before the embargo at the end of 2003.

Japan, which also restricted US beef imports, showed the same trend. While beef purchase last year was 16.5 percent of what it was in 2003, pork imports increased 190 percent.