Seven key U.S. senators and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association are ratcheting up pressure on the government’s negotiators currently trying to finalize a free-trade agreement with South Korea.
On behalf of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Jim Talent (R-Mo.) wrote a letter last week to U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns requesting that negotiations for a trade agreement be suspended until South Korea resumes buying American beef, and the two countries come to terms on fair bone tolerance levels in future U.S. shipments to the region.
Schwab also received from NCBA a letter asking for U.S. officials to immediately barter a new pact with Korea “based on scientifically recognized principles that allow for commercially viable trade of beef to begin.“
NCBA also demanded Schwab report back with a detailed negotiations strategy and provide a related timeline, so beef producers can better gauge the market viability of South Korea.
“We do feel like our representatives are doing the best they can, but they have to understand what an exercise in futility we think it is to have free trade agreement negotiations if [South Korea is] not going to trade in good faith,“ NCBA spokesman Joe Schuele told Meatingplace.com Friday. “In other words, what difference does it make what tariff charges or trade barriers we eliminate in a free-trade agreement if they’re not going to take our product?“
Rejected
South Korea’s rejection of three shipments of American beef in recent weeks, based on findings of miniscule bone fragments in them, has caused increasing concern among U.S. officials, who see the consistent trade of beef with South Korea as a requisite component of any free-trade agreement. The congressmen vowed to oppose the agreement if South Korea refuses to ease restrictions.
Chuck Lambert, the Agriculture Department’s deputy under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, told Meatingplace.com there was no timeline for independent negotiations with South Korea in the matter, and that officials understand the concerns expressed by NCBA and the senators.
“I think we have the same concerns,“ Lambert said. “We obviously take it to heart and into consideration.“
Lambert said his priority is to get the right people to the table for discussions that will yield a “commercially viable“ agreement, one that would allow for fluid trade between the two countries.
Asked why the United States initially signed an agreement with South Korea allowing only boneless cuts of U.S. beef, Lambert said the intent was to start with boneless then gradually ease restrictions, as the United States did when it reopened beef trade with Canada.
The message to South Korea?
“You can’t reject every load we ship for some obscure reason,“ Lambert said.
By Tom Johnston on Monday, December 18, 2006