Seoul Not to Discriminate Canadian, US Beef

SOUTH KOREA - South Korea will not discriminate between Canadian and U.S. beef in ongoing talks for the resumption of imports, according to government officials Thursday. Canada is calling for a full resumption of beef imports, regardless of age or part of the cattle.

23 November 2007

1 minute read

Asia

Officials from South Korea and Canada began their two-day negotiations in Seoul Thursday to set up new import sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) conditions between the two countries.

On the first day of the talks, the negotiators from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry made it clear that Seoul will be even-handed in beef import issues in the separate talks with Canada and the United States.

"`We stressed that when it comes to beef imports, there would be no difference in the way South Korea deals with Canada and the United States,’" Kim Chang-seob, the ministry’s chief veterinary officer, told reporters.

Gary Little, the chief negotiator for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), said that the beef issue is ``very important’’ for his country, demanding South Korea resume imports from Canada.

Source: Korea Times