ID :
147445
Tue, 10/26/2010 - 11:22
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/147445
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Seoul, Washington to hold talks over pending FTA issues
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- The top trade officials of South Korea and the United
States will meet in San Francisco this week to hammer out differences in their
bilateral free trade pact, Seoul's trade ministry said Monday.
The two countries signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in 2007, which awaits
ratification in the legislatures of both countries. Washington demanded that both
sides will hold additional talks to iron out pending issues.
South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk
will meet on Tuesday for the first time since May, when the two countries agreed
to resolve remaining issues in the pact before the G-20 Seoul Summit slated for
Nov. 11-12, the ministry said.
"(Kim) is going to visit the U.S. as the country called for negotiations (for the
outstanding issues)," a foreign ministry official said, adding the venue and time
of the meeting will not be revealed at the request of Washington.
The meeting comes as many lawmakers in the U.S. have complained about the pact's
auto provisions, which they claim do too little to break South Korea's
"non-tariff barriers" to U.S. auto imports. The country also wants South Korea to
lift its restrictions on imports of American beef.
Washington, however, did not make any concrete proposals to resolve their
complaints, according to the ministry.
South Korea sticks to its position that it may review the U.S. calls on autos and
beef if they are formally made, but the pact will never revised. Seoul also
claims the issue of beef imports is a matter separate from the accord.
South Korea imports beef only from cattle less than 30 months old, due to fear of
mad cow disease. The United States recorded three cases of the disease between
2003 and 2006. In response, Seoul banned imports of U.S. beef in 2003 before
resuming them in late 2008, which led to months of street rallies.
In a meeting with lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party earlier in
the day, Kim said that he is not sure whether Washington will make a bold
decision on the sensitive issues at a time when the midterm Congressional
election is scheduled for Nov. 2.
States will meet in San Francisco this week to hammer out differences in their
bilateral free trade pact, Seoul's trade ministry said Monday.
The two countries signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in 2007, which awaits
ratification in the legislatures of both countries. Washington demanded that both
sides will hold additional talks to iron out pending issues.
South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk
will meet on Tuesday for the first time since May, when the two countries agreed
to resolve remaining issues in the pact before the G-20 Seoul Summit slated for
Nov. 11-12, the ministry said.
"(Kim) is going to visit the U.S. as the country called for negotiations (for the
outstanding issues)," a foreign ministry official said, adding the venue and time
of the meeting will not be revealed at the request of Washington.
The meeting comes as many lawmakers in the U.S. have complained about the pact's
auto provisions, which they claim do too little to break South Korea's
"non-tariff barriers" to U.S. auto imports. The country also wants South Korea to
lift its restrictions on imports of American beef.
Washington, however, did not make any concrete proposals to resolve their
complaints, according to the ministry.
South Korea sticks to its position that it may review the U.S. calls on autos and
beef if they are formally made, but the pact will never revised. Seoul also
claims the issue of beef imports is a matter separate from the accord.
South Korea imports beef only from cattle less than 30 months old, due to fear of
mad cow disease. The United States recorded three cases of the disease between
2003 and 2006. In response, Seoul banned imports of U.S. beef in 2003 before
resuming them in late 2008, which led to months of street rallies.
In a meeting with lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party earlier in
the day, Kim said that he is not sure whether Washington will make a bold
decision on the sensitive issues at a time when the midterm Congressional
election is scheduled for Nov. 2.
