S Korea lifts its ban on US beef

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South Korea is to resume US beef imports after they were suspended over BSE fears earlier this month.

The decision came after US officials gave assurances over safety inspections to prevent banned spinal material entering shipments.

Seoul will continue to block beef from a US plant that was the source of spinal matter discovered by its quarantine inspectors.

US beef had only just returned to South Korea after a ban was imposed in 2003.

High stakes

South Korea was the third-largest overseas market for US beef before that ban, which was triggered by BSE fears.

This trade had been worth approximately $850m (Â£424m) annually.

The latest ban left 6,800 tonnes of US beef trapped in South Korean warehouses.