South Korea on Friday agreed to resume beef imports from the United States that were halted in 2003 because of concerns about mad cow disease. The move comes as South Korea’s new president, Lee Myung-bak, was to meet with President Bush in Washington on Friday. Seoul's willingness to allow American beef imports, a move opposed by its farmers, reveals that Lee is eager to improve diplomatic and trade ties with Washington. South Korea is the third-largest market for U.S. beef exports.
In the U.S., the move could soften opposition to the pending South Korea free-trade agreement, which has met with stiff opposition in Congress, including Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Korean agricultural officials plan to allow imports from cattle younger than 30 months, according to media reports. Younger cows are believed to be less at risk from mad cow disease. Imports will resume in mid-May and expand later to include beef from older cattle. South Korea had resumed imports on a limited scale in April 2007, but later halted them again in October 2007.
Journal of Commerce
