Korea to strengthen communication with US on agricultural imports: minister

Korea will work to bolster its communication with the United States on sanitary and phytosanitary procedures (SPS) for agricultural imports as part of efforts to improve trade conditions between the two countries, the agriculture minister said Thursday. "That is why we are newly creating the U.S. desk under the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) ... to create a contact point with Washington," Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said in a regular press briefing. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will also make efforts to advance its scientific capabilities in risk assessments of fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products from foreign countries, including the U.S., she added, unveiling the government's plan to apply artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the SPS. Song's remarks came after Seoul agreed to improve its SPS for agricultural imports in a trade deal with the Donald Trump administration as the U.S. side raised various issues related to agro-livestock trade between the two countries. In the deal, which lowered Washington's reciprocal tariff rateWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times