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The US and South Korea approved a bilateral trade agreement in early April following intense negotiations (see Bridges Weekly, 4 April 2007, http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/07-04-04/story1.htm). The comprehensive deal, which still has to be approved domestically in bother countries, has drawn criticism among civil society groups, including anti-GM activists.
According to South Korean media outlet the Hankyoreh, the countries’ negotiators agreed to ease rules on imports from the US containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) under the free trade agreement in return for the US opening its textile market to Korean exporters. South Korea has generally been much more restrictive with regard to GMOs than has the US.
Korean environmentalists criticised the government for ’selling off” the health of the nation, citing concerns that GMOs may be hazardous to consumer’s health, especially in the long run. South Korea had recently approved regulations on labelling of GM foods, had moved to ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and was planning to conduct safety tests on GM animal feed.
Critics also raised concerns that allowing the import of US GM feed, US GM corn imports — banned in Korea since 2002 — would resume. Korea does grow some of its own GM products, including corn, making up a small percentage of its total crops.
BIO, a biotechnology industry organisation, released a statement 17 April applauding the US Trade Representative’s office for reaching a successful conclusion to the FTA and praising the agricultural negotiators for “ensuring that Korea’s agricultural biotechnology regulations are science-based, and that trade of biotech-derived crops, foods, and feeds continues with out disruption.”
The details of the deal are not yet publicly available.
In related news, the US- Korea FTA requires both parties to effectively enforce their own domestic environmental laws, and this obligation is enforceable through the agreement’s dispute settlement procedures. It also commits each party to establish high levels of environmental protection and not reduce or weaken environmental laws to attract trade and investment.
“SK reportedly agrees to nix testing US genetically modified crops,” THE HANKYOREH, 7 April 2007; “BIO commends USTR for successfully concluding US-Korea free trade agreement,” BIO PRESS RELEASE, 17 April 2007; “Documents show S. Korean government lying over trade-off with US on GMOs,” GMWATCH.ORG, 9 April 2007.
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