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Though U.S. beef is allowed back in Korean stores, its Canadian cousin is not.
June 09, 2009
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| The feud over resuming Canadian beef imports in Korea is expected to continue to the final round as negotiations between the two countries in Geneva this week prove fruitless. The consultation talks are one of the first steps in the World Trade Organization’s settlement procedure for disputes. This April, Canada asked the WTO to review Korea’s ban on imports of Canadian beef, calling it “unjustified” and against international trade rules. Under WTO rules, when a complaint is filed, bilateral consultations must begin within 30 days. If, after 60 days, no agreement has been reached, the complainant may ask a dispute settlement panel to review the case and make a final ruling. The deadline for an agreement was yesterday. “Korea will guard its firm stance in defending its national interest if Canada asks for a dispute settlement panel,” said an official at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries who declined to be named. Earlier this year, Canadian Trade Minister Stockwell Day said that Canada has tried for months to “get the same access for our beef that the U.S. has.” He also said, in a press release through the Canadian Embassy in Seoul this April, “Canada has a robust trade relationship with South Korea, so it is unfortunate that we have not been able to settle this issue.” Korea was once Canada’s fourth-largest source of beef, with around $50 million imported here in 2003. But after a case of mad cow disease was reported in Canada in May 2003, Korea banned all imports immediately. But in May 2007, the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE, officially categorized Canada as a “controlled risk” country, and since then, it has been pushing for market access here. Canadian officials cited the resumption of U.S. beef imports as evidence of an “unjustified” bias. The U.S. also has the “controlled risk” label from the OIE. Korea’s Agriculture Minister Jang Tae-pyong expressed concern over the trade dispute recently, telling reporters that he asked lawmakers to revise the Prevention of Livestock Epidemics Act because it could be construed as a “barrier to free trade.” The act was passed after protests against U.S. beef in Korea last year. It prohibits the import of beef from cattle over 30 months old if the country of origin has seen a case of mad cow disease within the last five years. By Cho Jae-eun [jainnie@joongang.co.kr] |
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