04/09/07 Washington ag and the Korea FTA

Washington Ag April 9, 2007 Whether Congress will approve the recently concluded U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement remains to be seen, but if it does numerous Washington ag products would benefit. USDA Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Keenum says 1.9 billion dollars of U.S. ag exports to Korea will immediately be duty free and they include; Keenum: "Wheat, corn, hides and skins, a wide range of high value agricultural products such as wine, raisins, grape juice, fresh cherries, frozen French fries." In addition dairy products would enjoy an immediate zero tariff on double the amount of those products currently being exported to Korea. One thing that was not fully resolved with Korea was the situation with beef but the agreement reduces tariffs on U.S. beef and phases them out in 15 years. Jack Field Executive Vice President of the Washington Cattlemen's Association says the agreement is a good start. Field: "But as we learned here recently with our other trade agreements the proof is in the pudding so to speak and when the beef is on the barge heading over there and when they finally unload it without any hitches we will certainly be much happier. But this is an excellent step forward." The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is withholding its support of the FTA until commercially viable beef trade is occurring based on internationally recognized guidelines established by the World Organization for Animal Health. I'm Bob Hoff.