ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 14, 2008

JOHNSON: BEEF BAN MAY IMPACT TRADE MISSION

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson says the success of an upcoming 25-member North Dakota Trade Office mission to South Korea will depend in part on beef.

“Congress is holding up passage of the U.S.-Korean Free Trade Agreement until South Korea fully opens its market to U.S. beef imports,” said Johnson, as he left Friday with a North Dakota Trade Office mission to Seoul. “Unless the Koreans lift that ban, it is unlikely the agreement will go through, and that could spell trouble for our commodity sales to South Korea because their soybean and canola tariffs would remain in place.”

Citing fears over bovine spongiform encephalopathy, South Korea now bans the import of U.S. beef, except for boneless meat from cattle younger than 30 months. Johnson and Lt. Gov. Jack Dalrymple will urge the Koreans to lift the ban, citing scientific studies that demonstrate U.S. beef is safe.

“The current tariffs are very high for food grade soybeans and canola products,” Johnson said. “Since North Dakota is the nation’s number one canola producer, and soybeans are our second most important cash crop, it is obvious we could benefit from the agreement.”

The North Dakota delegation will meet with Korean business and government officials and with U.S. Ambassador Alexander Verschbow. They will also visit retail, wholesale and processing companies.

“A major event will be the North Dakota-sponsored conference on identity-preserved soybeans that are an important part of the Korean diet,” Johnson said. “We will emphasize the importance of our relationship with South Korea and our desire to work together for mutual benefit. We will also formally invite them to visit North Dakota during the soybean harvest in 2009.”

Johnson said the passage of the free trade agreement should have a positive effect on North Dakota agricultural exports to South Korea.

Johnson and the rest of the delegation return to North Dakota, March 21.

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MEDIA: For more information, please call Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov or Patrice Lahlum at (701) 239-7210 or plahlum@nd.gov.