Mexico Partially Lifts Ban on U.S. Beef

Mexico partially lifted its ban on imports of U.S. beef, announcing Wednesday that boneless cuts from animals less than 30 months old and veal from animals less than 9 months old could be imported.

The government had imposed a ban on Dec. 24, the day after a single case of mad-cow disease was reported in Washington state.

Mexico is traditionally the second-largest foreign market for U.S. beef. The United States exported 346,520 tons of beef to Mexico from January through November last year, worth $818 million, according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

In Wednesday's announcement, Mexico's agriculture department said the ban still applies to live animals.

The agency's chief of sanitation, Javier Trujillo, said the government took the measure after analyzing risks and measures adopted by the United States following discovery of the diseased animal.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman welcomed Mexico's announcement. She said her department provided Mexican officials with extensive information they requested and "hosted their technical teams to illustrate that our beef is indeed safe."