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South Korea rejects beef talksSEOUL (AP)--South Korea has rejected a U.S. request to discuss American beef and poultry imports in late December as part of broader free trade talks, calling the forum inappropriate. Working level discussions on sanitary and quarantine issues scheduled for Dec. 19 and 20 in Washington, part of talks aimed at forging a free trade agreement, have been delayed by the U.S. request, South Korea's Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said in a statement Dec. 18. "Recently, the U.S. asked that American beef imports and the easing of import bans on poultry products during bird flu outbreaks be discussed in this week's session," the ministry said. South Korea, however, rejected the request, saying "the issue should not be discussed within the framework of FTA negotiations." The U.S. Embassy in Seoul had no comment. South Korea and the U.S. have been at odds since Seoul rejected all three shipments of U.S. beef that have arrived since the end of a three-year ban that was triggered by fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. South Korea, formerly the third-largest foreign market for American beef, agreed to resume imports earlier this year on a limited basis--boneless meat only from cattle younger than 30 months old--on the grounds that some material inside bones could be dangerous to consume and the younger animals are safe from BSE . Imports resumed in October, but American beef has never reached South Korean consumers because quarantine authorities rejected all shipments for containing the tiny bone fragments. South Korea and the U.S. are negotiating a free trade agreement, which they hope to wrap up early next year. The ministry said it would like to hold the delayed sanitary and quarantine talks next month after consulting with Washington. Date: 1/4/07
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