Today's Date:   Thursday January 10, 2013

1. LIVESTOCK ISSUES

Controversy over ROKG’s measure against BSE….Allows the import of U.S. Beef but suspends the import of Brazilian beef [Korean: BYK]

http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?artid=201301092156065&code=920501

Summary: There is a controversy over how the Korean government is handling the finding of atypical case of BSE in the United States and Brazil.  When an atypical BSE case was found in Brazil last December, Korea suspended the import of beef from Brazil.  This is different from the case where it did not suspend the imports when an atypical BSE case was detected in the United States last spring.  MIFAFF argued that it was able to determine that the U.S. beef control system did not have any problem based on the risk assessment that had been conducted in the United States after the BSE case in 2003.  However, as this is the first BSE case in Brazil, Korea has not had the opportunity to conduct such risk assessment.  A total of 15 MT of canned beef short-rib soup and bone soup, etc. were imported from Brazil in 2012.  

2. MARKETING ISSUES

Orion Co. Achieves 1 Trillion Won of Sales in China [Korean, OSY]

http://news.mk.co.kr/newsRead.php?year=2013&no=20843

Summary: Orion Co., a leading snack confectionery processor in Korea announced that its sales in China marked one trillion Korean won in 2012.  Orion’s sales in China grew an average of 48 percent each year during the last five years.  In case of ‘Choco Pie’, Orion’s flagship product, sales in China exceeded sales in Korea for the first time in 2012.

3. MIFAFF PRESS RELEASES

►         Korea’s total export of agriculture, fisheries and food product reach 8.01 billion dollars in 2012.

►         MIFAFF to Tighten Inspection of Country of Origin Labeling as Lunar New Year holidays comes close.