March 23, 2007

US pork group wants aggressive deal with South Korea
 

The US National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is urging the government to strike an ambitious deal with South Korea through free trade agreement (FTA) in light of the growing pork competition with Chile.

As the US's fourth largest export market, South Korea has allowed Chilean pork to enter its market duty-free and unlimited by 2014 under FTA terms it negotiated with the South American country.

NPPC president and Illinois pork producer Jill Appell said the Bush administration should deliver aggressive tariff cuts on all US pork and pork products if it wants to retain the South Korean market.

The US administration must notify Congress by March 31 of its intent to sign the FTA with South Korea.

The US-Korean trade negotiations started last February. In South Korea, pork constitutes about 45 percent of daily meat protein consumption.