South Korea's imports of U.S. beef surged a whopping 97 percent in 2010 compared with the year earlier, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Tuesday.
The ministry said the country imported 125,681 tons of beef from the United States last year, up 97 percent from 63,817 tallied in 2009. The figure stands at 63 percent of the record 199, 409 tons of U.S. beef imported in 2003 before South Korea banned U. S. beef imports due to concerns over mad cow disease.
The ministry, which based its findings on data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also said South Korea was the fourth-largest importer of U.S. beef, after Mexico, Canada, and Japan.
U.S. pork imports, however, fell 14.7 percent last year. South Korea bought 99,901 tons of pork from the U.S. last year, down from 117,157 tons reported in the year earlier, the ministry said.
The ministry said the country imported 125,681 tons of beef from the United States last year, up 97 percent from 63,817 tallied in 2009. The figure stands at 63 percent of the record 199, 409 tons of U.S. beef imported in 2003 before South Korea banned U. S. beef imports due to concerns over mad cow disease.
The ministry, which based its findings on data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also said South Korea was the fourth-largest importer of U.S. beef, after Mexico, Canada, and Japan.
U.S. pork imports, however, fell 14.7 percent last year. South Korea bought 99,901 tons of pork from the U.S. last year, down from 117,157 tons reported in the year earlier, the ministry said.
