Beef Renegotiation Might Trouble Auto Deal

The Grand National Party’s beef delegates to the United States said Sunday, “When we request renegotiation of the beef deal, the U.S. Congress might link it to the KORUS FTA.”

Five members of the delegation led by Rep. Hwang Jin-ha briefed the press on the results of the visit at the party office in Yeouido, Seoul.

The delegation explained their six-day-long activities in the United States between June 9 and 15 and said, “The United States had an understanding that renegotiation means having the negotiation all over again. If the negotiation starts from the origin, it is likely that [the U.S. Congress] will demand renegotiation on the automobile deal within the KORUS FTA.”

Hwang said, “U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, did actually tell us that our use of the renegotiation card is very likely to lead the U.S. Congress to raise the automobile trade issue.”

“The United States is not prepared by principle to accept the renegotiation request on what was agreed between the two countries, and all the congressmen we’ve interviewed strongly opposed to it. But they did show reaction to specific measures including prohibiting the export of beef from cattle older than 30 months,” said the delegation.

Regarding the suggestion that the United States should only export beef from cattle aged less than 30 months, the GNP delegation explained, “Since most of the beef exported by the United States is under 30 months old, those congressmen wanted to start exporting what they could for a start. Our counterparts emphasized the condition that the grace period during which export of cattle over 30 months old is prohibited should not last long.”

“The United States was concerned that making a precedent in such a manner would exercise negative influence in negotiations with other nations. Senator Ben Nelson, a member of the Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee, suggested that the grace period be very short, and we told him we need at least one or two years.”

With regard to the self-regulation measure by private traders, which the Korean government is pushing for, many U.S. Congressmen showed positive reactions, the GNP delegation said. The delegation also explained that a number of Congressmen supported the idea of issuing government guarantees on self-regulation by private traders.

GNP lawmakers Kwon Taek-gi, Yun Sang-hyun, and Lee Dal-gon and GNP International Affairs Director Baek Gi-yeop accompanied Hwang on the trip to the United States.

jameshuh@donga.com