Beef heading overseas
Beef Heading Over Seas
03/09/07
Joy Greenwald
South Korea announced Thursday that it will lower its quarantine standards for US beef imports.
Korea has promised to resume imports of American beef that do not contain bone fragments.
The Koreans have also agreed to reject only individual boxes of meat that contain bone fragments, instead of the entire shipment.
Korea began rejecting all shipments last fall, fearing the tiny bone fragments could potentially harbor mad cow disease.
Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson says the move is a good first step toward full resumption of beef trade with South Korea.
"It’s critically important that Nebraska’s ranchers and feeders be able to send their beef to the South Korea market. I want to make clear that we are not finished with this issue. I’ll continue to work and leave all options on the table as I push for a total lifting of the ban." Nelson also says that a threat to block a free trade agreement with the US was a significant factor in South Korea’s decision.
