Korean beef boy ‘protest'

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 7

Korean beef boy ‘protest'

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney South Korea is using beef imports from New Zealand to register its protest against Australian import restrictions and anti-dump-ing actions, says Australia’s Opposition National Party leader, Mr Doug Anthony. He said that Australia had been pushed from the position of supplying practically all of South Korea’s beef imports, to only 70 per cent, with New Zealand the main beneficiary, along with Sweden. Mr Anthony said the results of the last two Korean buying tenders were not a pretty picture for Australian beef producers. The Korean Government was developing alternative sources of beef supply, he said. “It is preparing the ground to act strongly and

quickly if its concerns over increasing import restrictions in Australia are not answered. “In particular, I believe, it is getting to register the strongest possible protest should Australia give greater assistance to its steel industry.” Mr Anthony said no official announcement would be made by the Koreans, but he said the threat was very real. If Australia cut imports of steel from Korea, then the $lOO million beef trade was in jeopardy. He warned that the rest of Asia, which had similar complaints about Australia, would be watching. Mr Anthony appealed to the Labour Government not to take “short-sighted action” which could do immense damage to Australia’s trade and reputation in the area.