Nine rice exporting countries have made tough demands in exchange for potentially granting South Korea an extension of its restrictions on foreign access to the domestic rice market.
In announcing the interim results of recent rice negotiations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Wednesday that the nine rice partners had demanded that Seoul raise its rice import volume, or tariff rate quota, to 8.9 percent of domestic consumption, or 455-thousand tons, at the end of its current 10-year extension period. Seoul's TRQ level currently stands at four percent, which translates into 205-thousnd tons of rice.
According to the ministry, negotiation partners are also requesting that by the end of the 10-year tariff waiver period this year, 75 percent of the TRQ rice, which is bought by the government, be sold to consumers at retail stores.
South Korea has held related talks with the United States, China, Thailand, Australia, India, Pakistan, Argentina, Egypt and Canada since May.