June 10, 2004

 

 

South Korea To Keep U.S. Beef Ban

 

South Korea will keep its ban on imports of U.S. beef until scientific food safety guarantees over mad cow disease are available, Agriculture Minister Huh Sang-man revealed on Thursday.

 

South Korea's beef consumption this year is projected to fall 15 percent from a year ago to around 330,000 tonnes, Huh said, adding there would be no supply shortages even without U.S. beef supplies.

 

"The government's stance is that we cannot help keeping the import bans if the food safety of U.S. beef is not guaranteed scientifically," Huh said.

 

Asked if it was possible for the government to lift a ban on U.S. beef meats partially, he said: "I know some experts argue that meat is safe from mad cow disease. But it is a matter of consumer understanding."

 

South Korea, a major beef importer, banned imports of U.S. beef on December 24 last year after a cow tested positive for the brain-wasting mad cow disease, formally called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The infected cow was later found to have originated from Canada.

 

Since the discovery of BSE in the United States, South Korea's beef consumption has fallen sharply, affecting even homegrown beef and forcing its price to drop 10 percent.

 

Of total demand, homegrown beef will account for 130,000 tonnes and the rest will be imported, Huh said.

 

In terms of supply, South Korea has 100,000 tonnes of imported beef stockpiled and it expects to import another 150,000 tonnes this year, he added.

 

Some media reports have said local restaurants are suffering from the higher costs of using homegrown beef instead of cheaper U.S. beef amid falling beef demand. They have said that may force the government to resume U.S. beef imports earlier than expected.

 

But the minister made clear that was not the case.

 

"The government decides its policy considering the whole country not some businessmen," he added.