Korea claims US cancels FTA talks over beef dispute
12/19/2006
Korea Claims U.S. Cancels FTA Talks Over Beef Dispute
The United States canceled scheduled free trade talks today and tomorrow after Seoul refused to discuss the ongoing beef dispute during the talks, Korean officials told Agence France Presse.
However, a spokesman at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office told Meatingplace.com that it was unclear if such meetings had actually been formally scheduled, and that the next official meetings are scheduled for the week of Jan. 15 in Seoul, although specific dates have not been set.
Although the Free Trade Agreement talks technically do not include discussion of the beef situation, the United States insists that without a side agreement satisfactory to the U.S. beef industry, no trade deal could possibly pass through Congress.
When Seoul refused to have the beef issue added to the agenda for this week’s talks, Washington canceled the scheduled meetings, officials told the wire service. Korea refuses to tie the beef dispute into trade talks, arguing that the dispute is a public health issue, not a trade issue.
The Trade Representative’s spokesman, Steve Norton, told Meatingplace.com that while beef may not technically be on the FTA agenda, it is highly unlikely that Congress will accept any deal unless the beef issue is resolved first. There are many other thorny issues, ranging from rice to automobiles, but beef has become a touchstone for many in the Senate.
Since President Bush’s fast-track authority expires on July 1 and is not likely to be renewed, it’s generally felt that a basic agreement must be concluded by early March to leave enough time to nail down final details and present a clean agreement to Congress in advance of the fast-track deadline. Norton said that Congress might agree to “stop the clock“ for a limited time if an agreement is reached, but that would probably add only a few days or weeks to the president’s authority.
Source: Pete Hisey on Tuesday, December 19, 2006, Meatingplace.com
