S. Korea to resume beef talks with Canada this week

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will restart negotiations with Canada on
beef imports this week after a one-year hiatus, government officials said Sunday,
with Seoul widely expected to reopen its market.
Seoul banned Canadian beef in May 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was
reported in the country. The last round of talks was held in Seoul in late
November 2007.
"Working-level officials from the two countries will hold technical consultations
on beef imports in Seoul from Monday to Tuesday," the Ministry for Food,
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said. "The meeting will be held at the
request of Canada."
Analysts said South Korea is expected to partially allow the import of Canadian
beef, as it agreed to reopen its market to U.S. beef in April this year.
Canada has demanded that South Korea lift all restrictions on beef imports after
the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in May of last year gave Ottawa a
"controlled risk" classification, which technically allows it to export all beef
parts with the exception of certain specified risk materials (SRMs).
SRMs refer to parts including brains, eyes, tonsils and intestine parts that run
the highest risk of transmitting bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow
disease, to humans.
The ministry, however, said South Korea cannot accept Canada's demand because a
mad cow case was reported in the country as recently as August.
"We expect the Canadian side to accept our proposal that beef from cows under 30
months old be imported, with as many SRMs as possible excluded," a ministry
official said.
Canada was previously the fourth-biggest exporter of beef to South Korea behind
the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
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