The Ministry of Commerce and Industry yesterday lifted the ban on imports of all beef and lamb products from Argentina. The ban had been in place for three years.
The Kingdom imposed a ban on all meat imports from the South American country in March 2001 due to the spread of foot and mouth disease. A Ministry statement said: “The Kingdom is satisfied that Argentine beef and lamb are now safe. The decision to lift the ban accords with the two countries’ desire to improve bilateral trade relations.”
Argentine Ambassador to the Kingdom Luis Mendiola told Arab News that lifting of the ban was a major breakthrough in Saudi-Argentine trade relations. “Lifting of the ban paves the way for the way for the private sector of each country to arrange for the import of meat from Argentina,” he said, adding that Argentine meat is exported to over sixty countries. Mendiola said that the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Argentina was brought under control “within weeks of its discovery.”
Source: SPA
