South Korea was likely the largest importer of beef from the United States last year.

According to data by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday, South Korea imported over 258-thousand tons of U.S. beef worth two-point-45 billion dollars from January to November last year.

This figure represents the largest amount in the world in terms of both import volume and value.

Compared to the same period of 2021, the import volume increased by two percent, while the value jumped by 15 percent due to a rise in beef prices.

When data from December is included, South Korea is likely to post a record high both in the import volume and value for 2022, becoming the largest importer of U.S. beef for the second consecutive year.