China lifts ban on US beef
Afp, Beijing
China has lifted a ban on imports of selected cuts of US beef that was put in place in 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow disease in the United States, the agriculture ministry said Friday. Only boneless cuts of beef from cows under 30 months of age would be allowed into the country, the ministry said in a joint decision made with the General Administration of Quailty Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. Imports of other parts of US cattle, including the backbone, head, eyes and offal would not be allowed, it said. During trade talks in Washington in April, China agreed to lift the ban, but needed to finalize a technical protocol on the details of the resumed imports, earlier reports said. China was an important market for US beef exports, taking 100 million dollars worth before the 2003 ban, according to a US official at the time.
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