South Korea bans Canadian beef exports in light of BSE

South Korea says it’s banning imports of Canadian beef after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or “mad cow disease,” was found on a northern Alberta farm earlier this week, despite reassurances from Canada’s agriculture minister the case would not impact Canadian beef trade.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the suspension via an update of its online timeline of the Alberta BSE case. The Korean ban, the agency said, will remain in place “pending further information on the confirmed BSE finding.”

An official with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada later said Canada was notified of the ban Feb. 14 by Korean officials, who noted the restriction had taken effect the day before.

CFIA will need to reassure the BSE case does not “pose a health hazard to the Korean people,”...

As long as CFIA provides the necessary information “as soon as it is available,” and Korean officials “acts as it has agreed,” Masswohl said he expected the Korean suspension would only “last days”.

Word of the South Korean ban, though, comes just days after International Trade Minister Ed Fast wrapped up a trade mission to the South Korea, where he repeatedly promoted Canadian beef. The minister even participated in a cooking demo, where he prepared Canadian beef for his South Korean partners.

Fast was in Korea to promote the new Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement. The trade deal took effect January 1 after being ratified by parliament last fall. The Asian country represents about 1.25 per cent of Canada’s beef exports and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s office said in a statement that they are hopeful that Canada’s strong inspection system and controls will encourage Korea to reverse the ban soon.

This is not the first time South Korea has banned Canadian beef in light of BSE...

That lost market access was expected to be regained as part of the new Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which would see tariffs reduced over 15 years...

South Korea is Canada’s sixth largest export market for beef. Between 2010 and 2012, South Korean beef imports were worth an average of approximately $1.3 billion annually.

This has been excerpted from 15 February 2015 article by iPolitics.