October 12, 2004

South Korea May Not Resume Canadian Beef Imports Soon

South Korea is unlikely to resume beef imports from Canada anytime soon despite stricter rules imposed by the exporter. Buyers are still not convinced that supplies are safe.

Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell met his South Korean counterpart Huh Sang-man earlier on Monday to explain Canada's new livestock feed rules, which includes stricter regulations governing feed plants and slaughter houses.

"Our agriculture minister explained that consumers' safety should be guaranteed first," said a Korean ministry official who attended the meeting.

The South Korean minister told the delegation that lingering mad cow concerns in the United States and Canada had not only hit demand for imported beef but also had an impact on consumption of domestic beef.

"The minister said that we would continue to consider very carefully resumption of the beef imports because it is not yet clear that Canadian beef is proved scientifically safe from the BSE," the ministry official said.

South Korea has not reported a single case of mad cow disease.

In May 2003, South Korea banned beef imports from Canada following cases of mad cow -- also called bovine spongiform encephalopathy. In December, Seoul banned imports from the United States after a cow tested positive for the disease.

Japan and South Korea insist that Canada test every head of cattle that is slaughtered, a request Ottawa has denied. Canada is, however, testing more animals for BSE.

Canadian policymakers and industry officials are on a week-long Asian trip to woo new buyers for its beef after the deadly mad cow disease crippled its domestic industry.