By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter
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.
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.
``He said that the two-day talks in Seoul would give his government a better understanding of what Seoul wants in terms of beef import conditions and safety,’’ said another South Korean negotiator.
Seoul banned Canadian beef in May 2003 after confirmation of a case of mad cow disease in the North American country. Canada was previously the fourth-largest beef exporter to South Korea following the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Last June, Canada formally requested talks through the CFIA for the resumption of beef imports. Seoul has since conducted an import risk analysis evaluation, which is a right of World Trade Organization members.
South Korea also shut its doors to U.S. beef in late 2003 after a mad cow disease case was also found in the country’s cattle. It partially reopened its market last year, but agreed to accept only boneless meat from cattle under 30 months old, regarded as less dangerous.
Canada and the U.S. have been demanding a full resumption of imports, citing the global animal health body’s designation, which classified them as ``controlled risk’’ countries in late May.
Under the guideline, exports of specified risk materials (SRMs) like tonsils and certain small intestine parts are banned. But there are no restrictions on brains and bones if the butchered animal is under 30 months old.