Fighting for the U.S. Cattle Producer

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Cattle Producers Pleased with S. Korea’s Decision to Resume Imports of U.S. Beef

BILLINGS, MONT. (September 8, 2006)  R-CALF USA is pleased with the news that South Korea has agreed to partially lift its ban on U.S. beef exports. R-CALF USA trusts that the extreme delay the United States continues to experience in fully restoring access to important export markets will signal to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) the critical need to improve U.S. import controls.

South Korea has imposed stricter standards on U.S. beef exports than the U.S. imposes on imports from BSE-affected countries such as Canada and Japan. South Korea is only accepting boneless beef from cattle slaughtered in the U.S. that are under 30 months of age. Beef from Canadian cattle imported into the U.S. is ineligible for export to South Korea. Only boneless beef from cattle that are born and raised in the U.S., or cattle imported from Mexico that have resided in the U.S. for at least 100 days prior to slaughter, is eligible for export. Additionally, although the United States does not require the removal of the skull, brain, eyes, spinal cord, and vertebral column from Canadian cattle, South Korea requires the removal of all of these specified risk materials (SRMs) in cattle that are processed for export to that country.

“The mismatch between the United States’ relaxed import requirements and the more restrictive standards placed on U.S. exports continues to harm the U.S. cattle industry,” said R-CALF USA President Chuck Kiker. “South Korea had delayed even this partial reopening of its border precisely because it viewed U.S. import requirements for Canadian beef and cattle to be inadequate.”

R-CALF USA continues to urge the USDA to:

  • Permanently withdraw its proposal to further relax our import controls that would allow cattle and beef from cattle over 30 months (OTM) of age into the U.S. from Canada;
  • Rescind its Minimal Risk Region Rule that presently allows the importation of cattle and beef from cattle under 30 months of age from Canada until a comprehensive analysis is completed on Canada’s latest detection of a 4 year 2 month old cow with BSE;
  • End its practice of granting access to the U.S. market before the U.S. fully regains all of its lost export markets; and,
  • Ensure that beef produced exclusively from U.S. cattle be clearly labeled with a Country-of-Origin Label (COOL) for consumers, both domestic and abroad.

“These reforms are necessary in order for the U.S. to regain full access to our export markets,” Kiker explained. “Like South Korea, other export markets that have reopened also have imposed stricter standards on U.S. exports than the U.S. requires for imports. Egypt, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines, for example, have also opened their borders to U.S. exports of only boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age. Japan will accept U.S. beef imports only from cattle 20 months of age and younger.

“The United States is the largest beef-producing and beef-consuming nation in the world, and as such, it is harmful to our industry to also be the country with the lowest import standards in the world,” Kiker concluded.

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R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) is a national, non-profit organization and is dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on both domestic and international trade and marketing issues. Members are located across 47 states and are primarily cow/calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and/or feedlot owners. R-CALF USA has more than 60 affiliate organizations and various main-street businesses are associate members. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.

 

                            This page was last updated on Monday, June 04, 2007.