The Saudi Food and Drug Authority reportedly has lifted a ban on imported U.S. beef launched four years ago when an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was confirmed.
The ban – which included beef and other products from Poland and Spain – was expected to be lifted this year after a royal decree in 2015 outlined conditions for the move, according to a report in the Saudi Gazette. The Saudi agency and U.S. officials conducted a series of negotiations to establish the parameters in a move to rescind the ban, the newspaper reported.
USDA noted the ban was launched after a BSE case was confirmed in dairy cattle in California, according to its website. The U.S. agency also said that it had continued negotiations with the Saudi government since 2012, although efforts by Meatingplace to secure a confirmation of the lifting of the ban were unsuccessful.
However, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) expressed confidence that the Saudi move could restore beef trade relations that were worth more than $30 million annually to U.S. producers before it was imposed.
“While there are still some administrative steps that need to be taken before shipments can resume, USMEF supports the Saudi government's decision to lift its suspension on imports of U.S. beef,” an agency spokesman told Meatingplace. “(Saudi Arabia) had developed into a key market for several U.S. companies serving the Middle East. We look forward to assisting them in reclaiming this business, and to introducing new suppliers to the market.”