U.S. government rejects visits by S. Korean lawmakers to American cattle farms
US - The U.S. government has rejected calls from South Korean lawmakers to allow them to inspect U.S. cattle farms, saying it has "no authority" over private facilities, the lawmakers and documents from the Korean government revealed Tuesday.
9 January 2007
1 minute read
Some lawmakers also considered legislation to ban beef from any country that has had an outbreak of mad cow disease.
"It is against the basics of trade," Kwon Oh-eul, head of the agriculture committee at the parliament, said in a press meeting.
"The one who intends to buy things is entitled to see them first, but the vendor says he can't show them. When the most basic request isn't met, can Korea accept what the U.S. requests?" he asked.
Korea conditionally resumed imports of American beef in March last year. The import ban was imposed in 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was found in the United States.
Source:The Hankyoreh
