May 10, 2006

South Korea likely to resume US beef imports by mid-June

US beef imports would likely reach Korea by mid-June. a senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) said Tuesday (May 9).

South Korean inspectors would be ending their inspection of US beef plants on May 20.

The US would likely take the case to the World Trade Organization (WTO), if delays were continued, the official said, adding that Japan would be likely to resume US beef imports before the coming Japan-US summit.

Although the US failed to clarfiy the exact age of the cow affected by mad cow disease in March ,it was noted that the animal was unregistered and raised by a private farmer, thus making it free from quarantines.

Still, the age of the animal mattered because if the cow was less than 8 years old, it meant that a major safeguard against mad cow disease put in place in 1998- the ban on using animal parts in cattle feed- was violated.

However, the MAF has concluded that based on reports from their experts sent to the US, the US cow was at least eight years old, meaning that it was born before the ban.