MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

South Korea and Japan reopen markets to Chilean pork

South Korea and Japan reopened their markets to Chilean pork, according to a release in Seoul from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

Minister Marigen Hornkohl said Korean sanitary authorities had lifted the temporary ban at the end of the year (Japan on Christmas) and pork that had been retained in containers at Korean and Japanese ports will begin the import process. Korean authorities underlined the joint effort with the private sector in overcoming the difficulties. The ban imposed on Chilean pork, by South Korea last August, took away the market for 40% of the pork produced in the country. The reason for the ban was the contamination of pork with dioxins and the cause was found to be in additives in the meal fed to pigs. This was very much a case by the government of Chile "being in the wrong and promptly admitting it", which was not lost on the government of South Korea final assessment of the situation. It was agreed that samples would be taken in Korean ports from those containers with pork from allegedly contaminated farms, but those containers from farms uncontaminated with dioxins will have a more simple process. In Japan's case no dioxins were found so the containers were let in plus a letter of guarantee establishing the non existence of dioxins in all containers inspected.