Cattle under 30 months of age allowed, as with U.S. beef imports

The government has decided to lift its import ban on Canadian beef after blocking them for about eight years over mad cow disease concerns, allowing local consumers to buy Canadian product once feared to affect humans.

The Agriculture Ministry said Seoul and Ottawa agreed to resume imports of Canadian cattle younger than 30 months old -- the same trade terms applied to the import of U.S. beef.

The bilateral agreement needs to obtain parliamentary approval to take effect, a process likely to be an uphill battle with resistance from the opposition party.

“Korea and Canada agreed to resume import of Canadian beef. The Agriculture Ministry will inspect the livestock workplace in Canada to make sure they meet safety requirement,” the ministry said.

Korea in 2003 blocked import of Canadian beef after the discovery of Canada’s first domestic case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease.

More than 17 cases have been discovered since then, with the latest occurring this March. Korean officials believe that beef older than 30 months is more vulnerable to infection from mad cow disease.

Resumption of Canadian beef imports could help tame inflation here for a market still recovering from its worst outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. But the popularity of Canadian beef in the local market remains questionable.

“The impact on the market won’t be large but the decision will give consumers a wider choice of beef imports. We will enforce strict display of product of origin,” the ministry said.

An official, declining to be named, expressed skepticism: “I’m not sure how many Koreans would buy the Canadian beef knowing the country had more than 18 outbreaks of mad cow disease.”

The two agreed to withdraw their World Trade Organization panel disputes over the shipment resume. Canada filed a complaint with the WTO in 2009 to push for resumption.

The WTO in November of that year composed a formal dispute settlement panel to hear the case, where Ottawa urged Seoul should remove its import ban immediately.

Canada is the world’s third-biggest beef shipper and Korea was its No. 4 market in 2002 prior to the ban. Asia’s fourth-largest economy last year imported a combined 261,159 tons of chilled beef in total, of which 53 percent came from Australia and 32 percent from the U.S.

Seoul has been reforming its policies on food imports this year after a costly outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that led to culls of about 5 percent of the nation’s cattle herd and about one-third of its hog herd.

Korea has overhauled its policies on food imports in recent months, following a costly outbreak of foot and mouth disease that has led to culls of about 5 percent of Korea’s cattle herd and about a third of the country’s hog herd.

 By Cynthia J. Kim (cynthiak@heraldcorp.com)