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Discovery of BSE Cow Delays Korean Trade Resumption Timetable

Reports indicate that South Korea will not halt the reopening of their market to U.S. beef, but the timetable has been pushed back until more information is confirmed about the latest U.S. bovine spongiform encephalopathy case.

Agence France Presse reports that South Korea says it will need confirmation that the animal is in fact 10 years old and born before the 1997 ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban. A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry says if this is indeed the case, then "procedures to resume beef imports would move along, as we agreed with the United States in January."

Six South Korean experts were slated to begin inspections of U.S. processing plants March 19. That is now delayed at least a week, in turn delaying the resumption of trade right now set for early April.