May 4, 2009
South Korea and Canada to start consultations on beef import ban
Negotiators from South Korea and Canada will meet Thursday (May 7) in Geneva for consultations on the banning of Canadian beef imports.
The consultation is the first step in the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) settlement procedure when a dispute occurs.
Canada had filed a complaint to the WTO after South Korea's continuous refusal to lift its six-year ban on imports of Canadian beef due to concerns of mad cow disease. But South Korea was concerned of Canada's ability to control the disease, which has been reported 15 times in the North American country with the latest case occurring just November 2008.
If the consultations fail to resolve the dispute within 60 days, Canada may request for the establishment of a panel to hear the case and undertake a confidential review of the dispute.
However, the Korean government, which acknowledges the problems facing domestic cattle farmers and suffered from public opposition to the resumption of US beef imports, may not see a compromise through consultations as a possibility.
