US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK6386

UNCLAS BANGKOK 006386 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AND EB 
COMMERCE FOR 4430/EAP/MAC/OKSA 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR WEISEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, TH 
SUBJECT: LIFTING THE BAN ON U.S. BEEF 
 
 
1.  Summary:  Prime Minister Thaksin,s pledge to President 
Bush to lift the ban on imports of U.S. beef has filtered 
down to the working level for implementation.  However, this 
is the third time that PM Thaksin has promised to lift the 
ban without resolution.  Technical requirements still remain 
before the ban can be fully lifted, but Embassy continues to 
press the issue with high-level RTG officials.  End summary. 
 
2.  In a September 19 meeting with President Bush, Prime 
Minister Thaksin promised that Thailand would lift a ban on 
U.S. beef imports that has been in place since a case of BSE 
was found in a herd of cattle in Washington state in 2003. 
However, PM Thaksin has twice earlier made the same 
commitment to Ambassador Boyce, and as yet no concrete action 
has been taken. 
 
3.  Since the PM made his most recent pledge, Ambassador 
Boyce has raised the issue with Foreign Minister Kantathi and 
also with Advisor to the PM Pansak Vinyaratn, reminding them 
of PM Thaksin,s promise and the need to lift the ban at the 
earliest possible time.  Each acknowledged the promise and 
conceded that action needed to be taken soon.  Ag Counselor 
has raised the issue at the trade policy level with the MOAC 
Permanent Secretary and the lead sanitary and phytosanitary 
(SPS) negotiator, as well as at the highest technical level 
with the RTG Chief Veterinary Officer.  USTR Lead Negotiator 
for the Thai-US FTA also raised the issue on the margins of 
negotiations in Hawaii during the last week of September. 
RTG FTA negotiators promised to follow up on the issue upon 
return to Bangkok during the first week of October. 
 
4.  Despite the apparent political willingness to proceed 
with lifting the ban, technical issues still remain to be 
resolved.  Agricultural Counselor has met on several 
occasions with the Ministry of Agriculture,s (MOAC) 
Department of Livestock Development (DLD) to discuss how to 
quickly satisfy procedural requirements.  Thailand presently 
requires that meatpacking plants in all exporting countries 
be individually inspected and approved by the MOAC DLD for 
health and sanitation before imports can be allowed.  The 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will not entertain a 
plant-by-plant inspection and approval process, but routinely 
welcomes international veterinary officials to audit the U.S. 
meat processing system, including the USDA regulatory process 
that oversees all commercial meatpacking operations. The MOAC 
claims to be prepared to send an inspection team to the U.S. 
to examine plants, but insists that USDA first respond to a 
questionnaire on beef production and slaughter.  As yet the 
MOAC has not produced the questionnaire. 
 
5.  Ag Counselor explained to MOAC officials that inspecting 
the large number of meatpacking plants in the U.S. was not 
feasible and encouraged the MOAC to waive the inspection 
requirement and consider instead a review of the U.S. 
inspection system at large and its ability to guarantee that 
U.S. beef exports meet Thai health safety standards.  It is 
worthwhile noting that USDA inspectors recently concluded an 
audit of the Thai poultry system, not a plant-by-plant 
approval, giving the RTG veterinary officials a first-hand 
opportunity to see how a system audit can adequately address 
food safety and sanitary concerns. 
 
6.  Visiting members of the U.S. Meat Export Federation met 
October 5 with representatives from MOAC,s Department of 
Livestock Development to discuss the proposed inspection tour 
to the U.S.  Although the Prime Minister,s promise to lift 
the ban seems to have put new life into discussions with 
MOAC, DLD officials did not commit to a date for the 
inspection tour.  Ag Counselor attributed some of MOAC,s 
hesitancy on the issue to the lack of expertise within the 
Ministry on beef.  Thailand is a very small scale producer of 
beef and officials responsible for food safety are simply not 
familiar with beef production methods and safety issues in 
the industry, including BSE. 
 
7.  Comment: Health and Human Services Secretary Leavitt, 
accompanied by USDA Undersecretary Butler, will be meeting 
Thai officials, including the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, 
on October 10 and will again raise the beef issue.  Every 
senior official who we have approached regarding this matter 
has assured us that it will be resolved soon.  We will 
continue to press at all levels to ensure that the ban is 
lifted while recognizing that the Thai bureaucracy often 
moves at a deliberate pace.  End comment. 
BOYCE