The U.S. livestock industry has requested the Trump administration improve South Korea’s quarantine regulations on the age restriction for U.S. beef, which has drawn significant attention from domestic livestock and distribution industries.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) stated today (the 12th) that the age restriction on U.S. beef needs to be improved and has requested the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to amend the quarantine regulations.
Since 2008, South Korea has only imported U.S. beef under 30 months old due to concerns about mad cow disease, as it has never been found in cattle younger than 30 months.
However, the NCBA argues that South Korea should enter into discussions as China, Japan, and Taiwan have lifted similar age restrictions on U.S. beef imports.
For years, the USTR has been addressing the issue of “export restrictions on beef under 30 months old” in its National Trade Estimate Report (NTE).
The USTR plans to identify unfair and non-reciprocal trade practices of trading partner countries and submit a report with improvement measures to President Trump by the 1st of next month. Based on this report, President Trump is expected to make decisions regarding each country.
If the Trump administration accepts the proposal to lift the age restriction on U.S. beef, the South Korean government would have to negotiate a revision of the import health conditions.
Some sectors of the domestic livestock and distribution industry believe that lifting the age restriction could actually disadvantage the U.S. livestock industry. A livestock industry official stated that if beef over 30 months old is imported, there could be a strong aversion among South Korean consumers due to their sentiments.
Furthermore, considering that the main age of U.S. beef is around 18 months, the U.S. might not insist on this issue extensively. The official noted that an increase in imports from Canada or Australia could substitute for U.S. beef if perceptions of U.S. beef worsen, indicating that this could be more of a demand for negotiation rather than a pressing issue.
According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), South Korea has been the largest importer of U.S. beef for four consecutive years based on dressed weight. Last year, South Korea imported 461,027 tons of foreign beef, of which 221,629 tons or 48% was U.S. beef.
The tariff rate on U.S. beef this year is 2.6%, but under the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that took effect in 2012, this tariff on U.S. beef will be abolished next year.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs plans to monitor the policy trends of the Trump administration, review response measures, and assess the impact on the livestock industry.
[Photo Source: Yonhap News]