South Korea Plans to Drop Canadian Beef Import Ban

South Korea is planning to resume Canadian beef imports this year if an understanding can be reached on maintaining trade limits on intestinal parts.

According to an official, the aim is to retain the ban on specified risk materials (SRMs) that cover tonsils, internal organs and intestines, which pose the greatest risk of passing on mad cow disease to humans, South Korean news agency Yonhap said.

The official said Seoul is looking at guidelines set by the European Union on beef trade that bans most SRMs imports to protect its citizens.

South Korea banned Canadian beef imports in May 2003 following an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease.

In July 2008 Seoul lifted its US beef ban after reaching a deal on what parts can be imported and a ceiling on the age of animals used for meat.