Following up on its February removal of a ban on California romaine lettuce imports, Hong Kong on March 5 lifted its ban on imports and sales of Arizona romaine.
Hong Kong banned Arizona romaine in April following a notice from the Food and Drug Administration about an outbreak of E. coli infections that was likely linked to the consumption of romaine lettuce from Arizona.
A ban on California romaine lettuce, lifted in February, was implemented in November as a result of an FDA advisory on a separate E. coli outbreak.
Government statistics show U.S. exports of lettuce to Hong Kong in 2018 totaled $830 million, down 22% from 2017.
