Korea reaffirms its goal to keep domestic rice market out of free-trade negotiations with U.S.
"If the United States talks about our rice market, the government is ready to break the negotiations," said Bae Jong-ha, head of the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry's international agriculture bureau on December 12.
At a briefing that day, Bae said, "Washington is expected to raise the issue of rice at the final stage of the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. However, the government is determined to protect the domestic rice market."
Wendy Cutler, the U.S.'s chief negotiator for the trade talks, said on December 7 during the fifth round, "Discussion on the rice market will begin at a certain point in time," indicating that the U.S. would include South Korea's rice market as a subject of discussion.
In connection with imports of the U.S. beef, Bae mentioned that the negotiators discussed only about removing tariffs, and that other technological problems related to quarantine would need to be discussed among experts from both sides. It is natural that such a discussion over these issues would become a basic part of the negotiation, but political intervention in the negotiations should not be ruled out, either, added the official.
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