Seoul Stands Its Ground On US Beef Import Rules
SEOUL - South Korea's top agriculture policymaker said Friday that there will be no linkage between plans to rewrite U.S. beef import rules with the ratification of the free trade agreement (FTA) that was signed in late June.
19 October 2007
1 minute read
"Seoul has repeatedly made clear that it will approach the U.S. beef import issue in an impartial manner and not be influenced by the FTA"
Agriculture Minister Im Sang-gyu
Agriculture Minister Im Sang-gyu told lawmakers that Seoul remained resolute on safeguarding public heath and determined to employ all scientific data to assess risks associated with American beef consumption. "Seoul has repeatedly made clear that it will approach the U.S. beef import issue in an impartial manner and not be influenced by the FTA," the official told legislators at an annual audit of the ministry.
The remark comes as U.S. lawmakers said new beef import guideline must be in place before they pass the open trade pact with South Korea. Washington has been asking for a revision to the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) since late May.
The current SPS rules, reached in January 2006 lifted South Korea's blanket ban of American beef that went into effect in December 2003. It, however, only allowed the import of boneless beef from cattle under 30 months old. Seoul had banned American beef imports after the discovery of a mad cow case.
