December 28, 2006

US urges South Korea to soften beef rules

The US has asked the South Korean government to soften import rules on American beef, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said on Wednesday, Dec 27.

Incidentally, this is the first time Washington has specified its concerns about South Korea's current beef import regulations. The US finds the Seoul standards too rigid, imposed perhaps to deliberately block US beef imports.

The two countries would meet to discuss the issue next month. South Korea lifted a ban on US beef imports on the condition that the latter would only send boneless beef. It however, rejected three US shipments after the authorities discovered fragments of beef in them. The ban was imposed following BSE outbreak.

The USDA meanwhile feels small bone fragments are unavoidable in large shipments and wants South Korea to be tolerant in this regard. Further, the department feels South Korea has been finding excuses to reject American beef.

The US wants the beef issue to be discussed at the FTA table which South Korea has been reluctant to.

Prior to South Korea's rejection of the products, Taiwan and Hong Kong also sent back US beef shipments for the same reason.

The South Korean ministry official said it was difficult to revise the rules just two months after the resumption of imports.

In a statement, a group of representatives from the ruling and opposition parties said the US request could be an intervention in the domestic administration.

They want the government to ban on all US beef if it poses a threat to their health.