South Korea is considering lifting its import ban on Canadian beef this year if an understanding can be reached on maintaining trade limits on intestinal parts, government sources said Monday (Jul 5).

 

Since Canada reported 17 cases of mad cow disease, Seoul will insist on tighter control for products that can be imported compared to US beef.

 

"The goal is to retain the ban on so-called specified risk materials (SRMs) that cover tonsils, internal organs and intestines, which pose the greatest risk of passing on mad cow disease to humans," an official said.

 

Seoul lifted its ban on US beef in late July 2008 after reaching a deal on what parts can be imported and a ceiling on the age of animals providing the meat. There have been three reported cases of mad cow disease in the country.

 

The official added that Seoul is looking at guidelines set by the EU on beef trade that effectively bans most SRMs imports to protect its citizens.

 

Other insiders, however, said that even if an agreement is reached on Canadian beef in the coming months, the exact time of lifting the ban will be decided after deliberations take place in the National Assembly. This, the official speculated could take time.

 

Canada, which received a "controlled risk" status from the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health in 2007 at the same time as the US, has been demanding Seoul lift its ban, and has taken the matter to the World Trade Organisation's dispute settlement panel.

 

Before South Korea banned the imports in May 2003, Canada was the fourth-largest supplier of beef to South Korea after the US, Australia and New Zealand.