The US Senate Tuesday (June 1) passed a resolution urging South Korea and several other countries to allow full market access to American beef.

 

The restricted shipment of beef is one of two major hurdles to the ratification of the free trade agreement with South Korea, signed in 2007. The other is lopsided auto trade.

 

South Korea imports beef only from cattle less than 30 months old due to fear over mad cow disease. The country banned imports of US beef in 2003 but resumed imports in late 2008 despite concerns among Koreans about mad cow disease, which led to months of street rallies.

 

US beef exports to South Korea reached US$216 million last year, making South Korea the fourth-biggest importer of US beef products, according to industry statistics.

 

The bill calls on South Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Mexico to allow shipments of US beef and beef products from cattle of all ages, saying they "should fully comply with internationally recognised scientific guidelines."

 

Since the outbreak of mad cow disease in 2003, the US further implemented safeguards to ensure beef safety and a 2006 study by the USDA found that BSE was virtually nonexistent in the US, the bill said.