The United States was pleased with the resumption of beef export to Hong Kong, according to a news release by the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong on Friday.

    According to the news release, the United States Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns was pleased with the reopening of an important market for U.S. beef exports and he anticipated that trade would quickly begin.

    "I applaud the Hong Kong government for making trade decisions based on internationally accepted scientific standards. This is one more step toward normalized international beef trade that will also help further the close bilateral trade relationship of the United States and Hong Kong," said Johanns.

    The Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced on Thursday that it would resume processing applications for beef imports from the United States with immediate effect.

    According to an agreed protocol, only boneless beef from cattleless than 30 months of age, with high risk materials such as brain and spinal cord removed during slaughtering, can be imported from designated establishments approved by the United States at the initial stage.

    Also, the import of each and every consignment of beef shall have the department's prior written permission and shall be accompanied by a health certificate.

    The import of beef from the United States had been temporarily suspended since Dec. 24, 2003, after the detection of a case of BSE in the State of Washington on Dec. 23, 2003