November 13, 2006

US-South Korea make some headway on beef trade

The US has made some headway in easing restrictions on beef exports to South Korea, but might see another bilateral meeting over remaining difference on bone fragments, according to a report by the USDA.

South Korea agreed that parts like silver skin, breast-bone and bone chips were not specified risk materials, that is materials capable of transmitting bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow-disease, according to USDA deputy under secretary of marketing and regulatory programs, Chuck Lambert. The two countries held negotiations over ambiguities in restrictions imposed by the South Korea on US beef exports that were stunting trade.

Silver skin, a membrane separating muscle groups was common in beef shipments and the US industry officials had reiterated earlier that it was impossible to exclude that while exporting beef.

South Korea's concession on silver skin and other material was a welcome step, pointed out Lambert, though disappointed over the fact that South Korea ruled out a possibility to ease restrictions on bone chips and cartilage.

The goal of the negotiations, according to chief agriculture negotiator for the US Trade Representative, Richard Crowder was to allow US beef trade to flourish. Though South Korea earlier agreed to ease its nearly three-year ban on US beef on Sept 8, certain ambiguities in the import restrictions remained.