December 10, 2010

South Korea to resume beef imports from Canada

South Korea has agreed to import beef and bones from Canadian cattle under 30 months of age, after the latest round of talks between both countries had more or less concluded.

However, South Korea will still minimize imports of offal based on regulations on specified risk materials that are tougher than those applied to US beef. The two countries also agreed that South Korea can suspend Canadian beef imports immediately if a fresh case of mad cow disease breaks out there.

A senior official with the Korean Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Wednesday (Dec 8) said the two countries will make the announcement once Canada drops its complaint to the World Trade Organization against South Korea.

Canada filed the complaint in April last year, claiming it was wrong for South Korea to ban Canadian beef imports over a mad cow disease scare.

Canadian beef imports were suspended since bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE broke out there in May 2003. But since it obtained status as a "BSE controlled risk country" from the world organization for animal health (OIE) in 2007, Canada has asked Korea to resume beef imports.

"We're trying to resume Canadian beef imports to persuade Canada drop its complaint with the WTO, because an arbitration committee of the WTO will likely decide against Korea," a government official said.

It is not known when Canada will drop its complaint to the WTO and whether the National Assembly of Korea will approve the resumption of imports after that.