Farm products and textiles test FTA resolve

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Farm products and textiles test FTA resolve

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As trade officials from Korea and the United States moved closer to the finish line, the two sides were still trying to narrow differences on key sticking points.
The negotiators appeared to have tentatively solved the problem of Korea’s imports of U.S. beef. A high-ranking Korean government official told the JoongAng Ilbo Saturday that Korea would be willing to accept test results by the World Organization for Animal Health on the safety of U.S. beef in May. That could reopen the Korean beef market to the U.S. product some time this year.
While the beef question is not formally a part of the free trade talks, the U.S. side has insisted that there would be no deal without Korea’s fully opening its beef market.
Meanwhile, the two nations remained apart on other major issues.
Talks on agriculture bore little fruit, and Bae Jong-ha, director of the international agriculture bureau at the Agriculture Ministry, said he was not sure whether more negotiations would be helpful. The Americans have been calling for minimal exceptions in the agricultural sector in the free trade deal.
Then around 5:30 p.m. yesterday, Richard Crowder, the U.S. chief agricultural negotiator, left Korea for personal reasons. Crowder’s sudden departure could be interpreted as evidence that the framework for a deal in agriculture has already been established, and that there is no need for further talks.
As for textiles, Korea has said it would allow U.S. textile companies to conduct on-site research on their Korean counterparts if the United States eases a regulation so that Korean manufacturers’ products made with yarn from a third country will still be regarded as made in Korea. In other issues, the two sides appeared to have closed the gap on allowing post offices to sell insurance policies in Korea.


By Yoon Chang-hee JoongAng Ilbo [jeeho@joongang.co.kr]
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