An attempt to reopen the Chinese market to U.S. beef exports recently fell apart. China has banned imports of U.S. beef since 2003, following detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("BSE") or "mad cow disease" in U.S. beef. However, Hong Kong fully reopened its beef market to the U.S. last July, which resulted in 154,500 tons of American meat entering Hong Kong. That amount is more than can be consumed in Hong Kong, leading U.S. trade officials to claim that "huge amounts" of American beef are entering China via Hong Kong despite China's ban. In February 2015, 33 Chinese customs officials were arrested for allegedly smuggling 6,000 tons of beef into China via Hong Kong.
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