GAIN Reports from Thursday, March 12, 2020

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Thursday, March 12, 2020 Hong Kong: Lucrative Market of Ox Gallstones U.S. beef processing plants should take note of the huge export potential of a cattle byproduct, ox gallstones, to the Hong Kong market. Ox gallstones are in high demand in the Chinese community as a precious Chinese herbal medicine. They are either sold as natural gallstones or combined with other ingredients as a proprietary Chinese medicine. The retail price of natural gall stones is as high as HK$19,000 for one tael, ie. US$65 per gram. A small pellet weighing three grams costs around US$195. Currently, there are Hong Kong importers looking for supplies.  South Africa: Rebounding South African Wine Industry Facing Rising Imports and Growing Stocks Post estimates that the wine grape production will increase marginally by 1 percent to 1.25 million Metric Tons (MT) in the calendar year 2020, due to the improved availability of irrigation water, favorable weather conditions, improved yields, and some regions that have recovered from the 2016 to 2018 drought conditions. This will result in a 0.1 percent increase in wine production to 947 million liters in 2020. While the South African wine industry is showing signs of rebounding, it is faced with growing imports from low value wine suppliers and rising stocks. Imports from the United States are minimal at 32,172 liters in 2020, due to a high import tariff of 25 percent and abundant wine supply in South Africa. However, there may be potential for growth in U.S. premium wine exports to South Africa, targeting restaurants, hotels, wine clubs and private premium wine consumers. South Africa: U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council Visit to South Africa During February 26 to March 5, 2020, a representative from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) visited South Africa. FAS Pretoria facilitated meetings, securing access to a trade show, and providing a U.S. Embassy briefing. Based on the visit, USHBC will produce a market assessment report, but the initial outlook is very positive for U.S. blueberries. South Korea: Beer Market Report U.S. beer exports to South Korea totaled $67 million in 2019, up 74 percent from the previous year. The Korean government implemented a volume-based liquor tax for beer on January 1, 2020, reducing the cost of higher quality beers in the market, including imported U.S. craft beer. The tax change and consumer demand for high-quality and diverse beers should benefit U.S. beer exports in coming years.    For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.   Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. This email was sent to stevenmagallanes520.nims@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service · 1400 Independence Avenue, SW · Washington, DC 20250