dmbfan
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
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 Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:39 pm Post subject: Korea, Canada and the WTO |
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Ya know............perhaps Korea should be inspected, concerning their food industry?
Photos, documentation...........internet postings.
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Canada turns to WTO in beef row with Korea
Canada will consult the World Trade Organization on Korea's continued ban of its beef imports, citing violation of international trade rules, the Canadian embassy said yesterday.
"The Government of Canada is calling on the World Trade Organization to begin consultations to address Korea's continuing unjustified ban on the importation of Canadian beef," Stockwell Day, Canada's minister of international trade and minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, said in a statement.
Seoul has been banning imports of Canadian beef since May 21, 2003, following a confirmed case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
The two countries have been holding talks since May 2007 and Seoul has sought safety tests of Canadian beef, Seoul's ministry of foreign affairs and trade said yesterday.
The talks that began in May 2007 came after the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) officially categorized Canada as a "Controlled BSE Risk" country, recognizing the effectiveness of the country's surveillance, mitigation and eradication measures.
Seoul's most recent on-site inspection mission to Canadian cattle farms took place from Nov. 16 to 27, 2008. "We are disappointed to have to launch this action, as we had hoped to resolve our differences through negotiation," Day said. "Canada has a robust trade relationship with Korea, so it is unfortunate that we have not been able to settle this issue and reopen Korean markets to Canadian beef."
The Canadian government noted that WTO consultations provide parties with an opportunity to resolve a dispute through discussions. If consultations fail to resolve the matter, the complaining party may request that the matter be referred to a WTO dispute settlement panel.
"The Korean government will prepare its case based on the issues raised by the Canadian government and in compliance with the WTO rules," Seoul's trade ministry said.
Agriculture Minister Chang Tae-pyong said Ottawa had given prior notice of its decision, adding that Seoul would take an active approach in handling the situation. He expressed the possibility of a challenging battle.
"If the matter goes before the WTO, only hard scientific and objective proof involving existing data on mad cow disease will be examined, with no allowances made for domestic consumer sentiment or public opinion," the official said.
He noted that Canada is now exporting to other Asian countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
The policymaker said that Ottawa has been insisting that the number of BSE cases is irrelevant, stressing that the important matter is ability of the country's meat processing system to prevent tainted meat from reaching consumers.
"Despite such arguments, the fact that mad cow cases are being reported in the country raises questions about Canada's ability to control its livestock and this is what makes it hard to alleviate public concerns," he said.
Canada had shipped out 16,400 tons, or $37.4 million worth of beef to Korea in the year before it was banned. At the time Canada had held the fourth-largest market share, following the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Canada has reported a total of 15 mad cow cases since 2003. Ottawa says the figure represents the country's thorough and strict monitoring standards.
It stressed that Canada exported beef to more than 55 countries in 2008, as its trading partners had accepted the OIE's recognition of Canada's status.
By Yoo Soh-jung
([email protected])
2009.04.11
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