December 8, 2010

South Korea remains firm on US beef restrictions

South Korea will not drop its refusal to allow US beef older than 30 months into its markets, despite the country's recently-announced free trade agreement with the US.

South Korea, along with Japan, had imposed the 30-month restriction in 2003 after the Mad Cow disease scare in the US. US beef producers have since chafed under what they consider to be an unfair and unnecessary restriction on exports.

The new free trade agreement with South Korea, which essentially gives US beef and pork free access to Korean markets beginning in 2016, was hailed as a way to maintain an important export market in the face of competition from European and South American competition.

But South Korea's trade minister, Kim Jong Hoon, said, "It is our government's firm position that there is no room for further discussions on it," when asked about the restriction on older beef.

Congress had passed the free trade agreement with South Korea in 2007 but completion had been snagged by difficulties over automobiles.