(Reuters) – Canada will move to end an agricultural trade dispute with South Korea after the Asian country resumed importing beef from Canada early this year.

Canadian International Trade Minister Ed Fast said on Monday his department will work with South Korea to end Canada’s complaint at the World Trade Organization over South Korea’s ban on Canadian beef imports.

As of last week, more than 30 commercial beef shipments from Canada had cleared South Korean customs, a statement from the Canadian government said.

South Korea, along with many other countries, banned Canadian beef in 2003 following the discovery of mad cow disease in Canadian cattle.

The Seoul government was one of the last to resume imports of Canadian beef, leading Canada to complain to the WTO in 2009.

Canada suspended its WTO case last year after Seoul said it would resume trade soon. South Korea then agreed in January to accept Canadian beef from cattle under 30 months of age.

The Canadian beef industry estimates its access to South Korea could be worth C$30 million ($29 million) annually by 2015.

(Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg; Editing by Peter Galloway)

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-end-wto-beef-dispute-south-korea-174016329.html

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