South Korea to resume imports of Canadian beef after 8-year ban

South Korea is resuming imports of Canadian beef after an eight-year ban.

South Korean media, including the The Korean Herald, say the government made the announcement today in Seoul.

All Canadian beef imports had been suspended because of Canada’s first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, commonly known as Mad Cow disease.

The South Korean government says local livestock distributors will be able to sell Canadian meat from cows younger than 30 months old starting this weekend.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is expected to confirm the details at a news conference today in Spruce Grove, Alberta.

In late December, Ritz had said South Korea has taken a “big step'” towards allowing imports of Canadian beef to resume.

After years of emphasizing that there is no scientific basis for the ban, Canada had sought a World Trade Organization panel to review the ban on Canadian beef.

Last June, Ottawa and Seoul agreed on a process to restore access by the end of 2011, prompting Canada to formally request a suspension of the WTO proceedings.

South Korea was the last major Asian market to ban Canadian beef.

Canada Beef Inc., the marketing division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, had said re-opening the market could be worth $30 million to Canadian producers by 2015.

Prior to the ban, South Korea was Canada’s fourth-largest beef market.