The U.S. livestock industry requested the Trump administration to improve South Korea's quarantine regulations that ban the import of U.S. beef over 30 months old, but the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs drew a line, stating that "no related discussions are underway."
South Korea allows the import of only beef from cattle under 30 months old due to concerns about mad cow disease in U.S. beef. This was agreed upon by the governments of South Korea and the U.S. in 2008 after long negotiations.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) stated in a submission to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on the 11th (local time) that "while the 30-month age limit on U.S. beef is a sensitive issue in South Korea, it is an issue that should not be ignored." The NCBA further claimed that China, Japan, and Taiwan have recognized the safety and quality of U.S. beef and have lifted similar 30-month restrictions unlike South Korea.
On the 12th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs emphasized in a press release that "the NCBA's submission reflects the position of producer groups from several countries importing U.S. beef, including Australia, the European Union (EU), and China," and added, "there is no change from what has been repeatedly mentioned in the National Trade Estimate (NTE) reports."
It continued, "So far, there has been no official request from the Trump administration regarding the import of U.S. beef over 30 months old, and no confirmed position from the U.S. side on this matter," and stated, "the South Korean government is currently not conducting any specific discussions related to this."
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