January 23, 2012

South Korea removes import ban on Canadian beef

Cattle below 30 months of age will now be accepted by South Korea as it lifted its nine-year import ban on Canadian beef on Friday (Jan 20), Canada's agriculture and trade ministers said.

South Korea is the last major beef-importing country to agree to resume imports of Canadian beef, since a 2003 case of mad-cow disease in Canada.

"Improved trade with South Korea is a priority for the Canadian agriculture industry and the South Korean government's co-operation in restoring access to Canadian beef will further strengthen trade relations between our two countries," Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said at a news conference on an Alberta farm.

Canada is the world's third-biggest beef shipper and in 2002, prior to the ban, South Korea was its fourth biggest beef market. The new access could be worth CAD30 million (US$29.6 million) annually for the beef industry by 2015, according to industry estimates. South Korea also initially banned US beef but later allowed imports within the 30-month age limit.

Canadian officials said on December 30 that Seoul had ratified import health requirements for Canadian beef, but several steps remained. South Korea has now published the approval of those requirements and notified Ottawa that all certification conditions are in place, the Canadian government said.

Canada complained about South Korea's beef ban to the World Trade Organisation, but suspended its case last year after South Korea said it would resume trade by the end of 2011.