The government has decided to resume quarantine inspection on U.S. beef. The decision came only one month after it suspended the inspection following detection of vertebral columns classified as specific risk materials (SRM). The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said it had decided to lift the quarantine suspension as the United States explained the problematic beef had been ``mistakenly’’ sent.
The government has been keeping a low profile in dealing with previous cases of U.S. violations of sanitary requirements since last year. This compares with the Japanese government that prohibited imports of American beef when it found backbones in the U.S. imports in January. Japan lifted the import ban only after the U.S. pledged steps to prevent the recurrence of such a case. The suspension lasted for more than six months. As far as food safety is concerned, the government needs to learn lessons from Japan and assume a more resolute stance.
Despite the government’s seemingly benevolent measures for the U.S. beef, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns expressed discomfort over the Korean government’s decision, describing it as having failed to meet U.S. expectations. He said the U.S. Congress would not attempt to ratify the KorUS Free Trade Agreement as Korea has yet to open its markets further. In an interview with Bloomberg he foresaw there could be a suspension of U.S. beef imports by Korea because of the country’s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations.
Johanns’ statement appears to have put considerable pressure on Korea taking advantage of the FTA ratification, though the quarantine suspension was prompted by a U.S. mistake in dealing with beef exports. As we have already pointed out, the U.S.’ haughty attitude will surely trigger anti-U.S. sentiment among Korean consumers.
We already welcomed the resumption of imports of U.S. beef as it has helped lower the prices of Korean beef called ``hanwoo’’ and provided the people with chances to have easier access to quality beef at reasonable prices. In fact, the U.S. beef hit the shelves of major sales outlets.
But the booming sale does not necessarily mean the successful marketing of U.S. beef in Korea. Korean consumers are very sensitive about the safety of American beef regarding possible cases of mad cow disease, and their anxiety is growing. The U.S. side needs to take strong measures to guarantee beef safety before pressing the Korean government to rectify relevant regulations.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, for its part, should adopt a more just and square manner in addressing the trade issue. What should come first is protecting the people from possible harmful imports. We would like to ask the ministry officials whether they are ready to be held responsible for any outbreak of potentially fatal illnesses due to imports of unsafe American beef.