United States and Republic of Korea Reach Agreement on Rice Imports

USDA Secretary Veneman announced an agreement between the United States and the Republic of Korea to obtain greater market access opportunities for U.S. rice exporters. As a result, Korea will double its imported rice volume during the next 10 years, provide guaranteed access for 50,000 metric tons of U.S. rice each year, and make imported rice available directly to Korean consumers. (12/30/04)

The Bioterrorim Act of 2002

Nearly 20% of all imports into the U.S. are food and food products. Congress passed the Bioterrorism Act as part of its ongoing effort to combat terrorism - in this instance, by reducing the ability of international terrorists to carry out terrorist attacks in the U.S. by contaminating imported foods. The Act requires that FDA receive prior notice before food is imported or offered for import into the United States.

Complete Text

FDA's Implementation of the Bioterrorism Act - An update with Leslye Fraser (March 2004)

FDA press release (Bioterrorism Act Update) - December 2004

For more information about rules, fact sheets, the compliance guide (CPG) and registration links: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtact.html    

The U.S. WTO Agriculture Proposal

The United States is proposing ambitious reforms for agricultural trade in the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. Taken as a package, the U.S. proposal on export competition, market access, and domestic support would result in reductions in trade barriers for agricultural products, greater equity in world agriculture, and expanding growth opportunities for the sale of agricultural products.

The U. S. WTO Agriculture Proposal

WTO Negotiations Offer the Best Chance For Agricultural Trade Reform

Biotechnology

Agricultural biotechnology is a collection of scientific techniques, including genetic engineering, that are used to create, improve, or modify plants, animals, and microorganisms.  Using conventional techniques, such as selective breeding, scientists have been working to improve plants and animals for human benefit for hundreds of years.  Modern techniques now enable scientists to move genes (and therefore desirable traits) in ways they could not before -- and with greater ease and precision.

General Information about Biotechnology

USDA Announces First Steps to Update Biotechnology Regulations

USDA's APHIS has regulated agriculture biotechnology since 1987, ensuring the safe field testing of more than 10,000 GE organisms and overseeing the deregulation of more than 60 GE products.  Over the past several years, steps have been taken to strengthen USDA's biotechnology regulations.

Cartagena Protocol on Biotechnology

More than 130 countries adopted the Biosafety Protocol on January 29, 2000, in Montreal, Canada.  It is called the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to honor Colombia, which hosted the extraordinary Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cartagena in 1999.  The objective of this first Protocol to the CBD is to contribute to the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) -- such as genetically engineered plants, animals, and microbes -- that cross international borders.  The Biosafety Protocol is also intended to avoid adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity without unnecessarily disrupting world food trade.

Korean Biotechnology Regulations

There are two Korean government bodies that regulate the labeling of domestic and imported agricultural products produced through biotechnology. The Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry (MAF) regulates raw agricultural products produced by biotechnology, under the provisions provided by the Agricultural and Fisheries Product Quality Control Act . The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) regulates processed products made from biotech agricultural products, under the provisions provided by the Food Sanitation Act . A gist of the regulations by the two government bodies follows:

Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry (MAF): Under the provisions of the Agricultural and Fisheries Product Quality Control Act , MAF has announced "Guidelines for Labeling of Genetically Modified Agricultural Products." The final guideline is available on the MAF homepage (www.maf.go.kr) . This guideline lists four (4) commodities that would be subject to labeling as a biotech product, i.e., soybean, corn, soybean sprouts and potatoes. Commodities that are subject to this requirement must be labeled as a biotechnology enhanced commodity if they contain three (3) percent or more of biotech-enhanced ingredients. The labeling requirement went into effect as of March 1, 2001, except for potatoes. The labeling requirement for potatoes went into effect as of March, 2002.

Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA): Under the provisions provided in the Food Sanitation Act , KFDA has announced "Labeling Standards for Recombinant Food (draft)." This is available on the KFDA home page (www.kfda.go.kr) . The KFDA guideline is linked with MAF's Agricultural and Fisheries Product Quality Control Act in designating the processed products that would be subject to the KFDA guideline. Under the current proposal, foods or food additives among those manufactured or processed using, as main ingredients, one or more of the raw materials subject to the biotech labeling in accordance with the provisions of the Agricultural and Fisheries Product Quality Control Act shall be subject to this requirement. However, this shall not apply to biotech foods, etc., which do not contain recombinant DNAs or foreign proteins in the final products. Other biotech foods, etc., for which the KFDA Commissioner deems as being necessary shall also be subject to this regulation. KFDA finalized the labeling standards in July 2000, and implemented them in July 2001.   A copy of the proposal can be made available by contacting the Office of Food Safety and Technical Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

Other Comments: These regulations may change in the future. Post recommends that U.S. traders check with their Korean import agents to obtain the most updated information before exporting biotech agricultural products.

Frequently Asked Questions about Biotechnology

Other Biotech Links

www.fda.gov - U.S. Food and Drug Administration

www.epa.gov - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency