US efforts to resolve Saudi Arabia beef impasse continue
18/09/2013
Saudi Arabia suspended imports of US beef following the confirmation of a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in California in April 2012. US government authorities and international animal health bodies have concluded that the case was atypical and the incident had no impact on the BSE risk classification of the US, which is officially “negligible risk”.
According to USMEF “very few trading partners reacted negatively to the case”, but Saudi Arabia has been a notable exception and the suspension of US beef imports there has had what USMEF describes as a “harsh impact” on several small and middle-sized meat companies that cultivated a significant customer base in Saudi Arabia.
USMEF’s senior vice-president for trade access, Thad Lively, has said he hopes to see progress on this matter in coming weeks.
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