[2005/12/31]
% ]) E$ R6 J |" X5 pHong Kong Agrees To Open Market to U.S. Beef6 E+ P1 p! o% e% ~+ O% k
United States recovers most of beef trade lost since late 2003) Z! H, t( ] `5 z: f0 u, {+ i
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Washington -- The United States has reached agreement with Hong Kong for the% ~7 S- Y/ g- M p
reopening of Hong Kong's market to U.S. boneless beef from cattle younger
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With the Hong Kong agreement, announced December 29 by U.S. Agriculture4 Q; k2 W' ~8 H- x( o+ M) `
Secretary Mike Johanns, the United States has recovered 74 percent of its
) J7 `8 |+ a# v; {/ x, h! ibeef export market that closed down after a case of bovine spongiform1 J$ e" q: X& ^; }, K
encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, was found in December& \! ~) n. \& }6 S& i0 M7 M
2003 in an older U.S. cow imported from Canada.
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The agreement follows a December 11 announcement by the Agriculture
$ Z& I X ?" h ]2 q* n5 bDepartment that the United States and Japan agreed to reopen Japanese1 m: j$ _% Y, x/ c
markets to imports of U.S. beef.
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In 2004 and 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) significantly. k$ `- {5 C" A; B* x! a2 o
stepped up its beef cow testing and surveillance program.( I& R% R- _/ a4 L5 ]( Y) s# B6 |
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Part of the latter effort -- to detect early any apparent case of BSE and to: I& \( _! b5 z# o& o$ E' z
contain the disease if needed -- has been the implementation of an animal
# Z# ^5 _9 t' S# X2 ^8 t8 x1 Bidentification system to aid in tracking suspected or diagnosed sick
% R0 ?) e9 ]5 z3 Z Z8 w* u% e" a* f8 Manimals.
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$ I, ]3 a* w3 K, F3 G5 f' ?3 O* c"This agreement follows Hong Kong's determination that U.S. control measures. D0 J) z1 _! w" ]0 c4 w
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 in6 Z6 d. Q, Y) Q, @- x. v
Asia and around the world by promoting the use of science-based regulations& d/ U/ s! ~& u+ W
in global beef trade," he said.
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In 2003, Hong Kong was the fifth largest market for U.S. beef products. |