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U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economy-wide ... - USITC

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particularly in the areas of risk assessment, customs determination review, and document<br />

retention. With respect to risk assessment, the Council said that the chapter commitments<br />

balance thorough analysis of high-risk transactions with reduced scrutiny for low-risk<br />

traders. The Council said that the agreement also establishes a review and appeals process<br />

to discuss customs determinations as well as a committee to monitor implementation of the<br />

parties’ obligations. 34<br />

The Express Delivery & Logistics Association said that the agreement builds on<br />

achievements in earlier FTAs by including provisions to facilitate customs clearance for<br />

express carriers that would permit fast, reliable service to their customers. 35 The U.S.-<strong>Korea</strong><br />

FTA Business Coalition said that the agreement includes “important new commitments on<br />

customs administration” and “streamlined customs procedures” that would facilitate trade<br />

by implementing measures to speed goods clearance and promote Customs efficiencies. 36<br />

FTA Chapter 8—Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures<br />

Assessment<br />

The U.S.-<strong>Korea</strong> FTA does not contain any commodity-specific sanitary and phytosanitary<br />

(SPS) 37 provisions, but does provide for the establishment of a bilateral Standing<br />

Committee 38 to address SPS issues. This SPS provision would likely have some small<br />

positive effect on U.S. agricultural producers and exporters over the life of the <strong>Agreement</strong>,<br />

given that a number of the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees (ATACs) expressed<br />

concerns about <strong>Korea</strong>’s implementation of certain SPS measures in the past to restrict fruit<br />

and vegetable trade. In particular, in their views on the FTA, some agricultural groups<br />

expressed concerns about <strong>Korea</strong>’s food additive measures and its use of SPS measures in<br />

fruit and vegetable trade. Additionally, beef producers expressed their disappointment that<br />

the FTA does not require <strong>Korea</strong> to recognize the equivalence of the food safety inspection<br />

system for beef, and to reinstate commercially viable trade in beef and beef products in<br />

recognition of the measures the United States has implemented in regard to bovine<br />

spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) that are consistent with international standards. 39 As<br />

noted in chapter 3, U.S. exports of beef and beef products to <strong>Korea</strong> have been strictly limited<br />

since 2003 due to <strong>Korea</strong>’s SPS restrictions related to BSE. U.S. agricultural producers are<br />

concerned that use of SPS measures that are not based on sound science in bilateral trade<br />

with <strong>Korea</strong> could reduce the likely benefits to their industries from the U.S.-<strong>Korea</strong> FTA.<br />

Two agricultural industries, the poultry and pork industries, indicated that <strong>Korea</strong>’s<br />

willingness to accept poultry and pork from USDA-approved facilities would enhance the<br />

trade benefits negotiated for these industries under the FTA.<br />

34 ITI, “U.S.-<strong>Korea</strong> <strong>Free</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>Agreement</strong>: <strong>Potential</strong> <strong>Economy</strong>-<strong>wide</strong> and Selected Sectoral Effects,”<br />

testimony before the <strong>USITC</strong>, June 20, 2006.<br />

35 Express Delivery & Logistics Assoc., “Testimony on the U.S.-<strong>Korea</strong> <strong>Free</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>Agreement</strong>.”<br />

36 USKFTABC, “Views on the Economic Impact of a United States-<strong>Korea</strong> <strong>Free</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>Agreement</strong>,”<br />

written submission to the <strong>USITC</strong>, June 27, 2007.<br />

37 USTR, communication with Commission staff, Washington, DC, June 8, 2007.<br />

38 USTR, “Final - United States - <strong>Korea</strong> FTA Texts,” 2007, chap. 8.<br />

39 For additional information on the meat sector, see chap. 3 of this report.<br />

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