U.S. to Lift Ban on Argentine Beef Imports

Argentina can begin shipping fresh, chilled or frozen beef to the U.S. market beginning Aug. 25, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The ruling clears the way for the first beef imports from Argentina since 1931, when an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease halted sales to the United States. The announcement follows a meeting last week between Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Argentine Agriculture Secretary Felipe Sola, who has pushed for the step. Sola has said that Argentina expects to double its beef exports in the next four years to 800,000 metric tons annually, 20,000 tons of which will be fresh beef to the U.S. Beef accounts for about 5% of Argentina’s total exports.