September 25, 2009

Eight countries have offered to participate in the WTO dispute settlement panel established to resolve the ongoing beef dispute between South Korea and Canada, according to Seoul officials.

 

The countries are the US, Japan, the EU, China, Brazil, Argentina, Taiwan and India.

 

An Agriculture Ministry official said they can only hypothesize why these particular countries have decided to participate and what position they hold on this beef trade case, as such information is only for the WTO to know.

 

South Korea imposed a ban on Canadian beef in May 2003, following the confirmation of a bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease. Before the ban, South Korea was Canada's fourth-largest beef export market valued at US$50 million in 2002.

 

It is speculated that the US and the EU are most likely to support Canada's case, as the two powers are both beef exporters and have a history of BSE.

 

Brazil and Argentina are also beef exporters, but neither had confirmed cases of BSE, which may make them express resistance towards BSE.

 

Japan and Taiwan, both importers, may side with South Korea. However, both Japan and Taiwan have lifted their ban on Canadian beef.

 

The ministry official said the case could drag for as long as 20 months.