"This is inaccurate. Under the protocol, Korea has agreed to open its market to U.S. beef from cattle of all ages, consistent with OIE guidelines," said Gretchen Hamel, a spokeswoman for U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration has raised "serious concerns" with the South Korean government over official comments that, despite a recent agreement on beef trade, it will accept only U.S. beef from younger cattle.
"This is inaccurate. Under the protocol, Korea has agreed to open its market to U.S. beef from cattle of all ages, consistent with OIE guidelines," said Gretchen Hamel, a spokeswoman for U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
Hamel said trade officials had raised "serious concerns" with the Korean government over comments from President Lee Myung-bak's spokesman which indicated that imports of U.S. beef from cattle older than 30 months would not occur even after the recent agreement to relax Korean import regulations.
(Reporting by Missy Ryan)
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