Market News & Headlines >> China to Ease Ban on U.S. Beef

China has provisionally eased a nearly 13-year-old import ban on imports of U.S. beef, subject to the completion of quarantine requirements, which it has yet to issue. Chinese Premier Le Keqiang said on Thursday that China would also ease restrictions on Canadian beef. 

A statement on the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture’s website says the import ban, adopted in December 2003 following the discovery of a case of mad cow disease in Washington state, will be lifted for shipments of boneless beef and bone-in beef from cattle aged 30 months or younger.

It's not clear when the import ban may be officially eased. Further negotiations between U.S. and Chinese officials will be needed over the details of China's import regulations.

For more on this story, see the upcoming Sept. 23 issue of The Brock Report.