Despite the discovery of a BSE-infected cow in California, major importers increased their purchases of U.S. beef in the last week, reports Reuters. Export sales of fresh, chilled or frozen muscle beef totaled 16,829 tons in the week ended April 26, up 8.8 percent from the previous week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

After the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S., beef exports dropped by 75 percent, and top importers like Japan banned U.S. beef. This time around, the only country to have halted shipments of U.S. beef is Indonesia, a relatively small importer. Additionally, two South Korean retail stores have halted sales of U.S. beef, and a Korean delegation is reviewing U.S. protocols against BSE.

"This was not something out of the blue. We've had three others before and, realistically, countries that were going to react have done so before. Their officials are reasonably satisfied with the measures the U.S. takes to deal with the problem," Dan Vaught of Vaught Futures Insights said.

Source: Reuters