한중FTA시대 양국 농식품안전분야 협력방안

Abstract

한·중 수교 이래 양국 간 농식품 교역은 괄목할만한 성장을 이룩하였는데 그 과정에서 식품안전 문제는 중요한 이슈가 되어왔다. 중국산 수입 농식품의 안전성 문제가 사회적 이슈로 대두되기도 하였으며 우리나라 농식품은 대중 수출 통관(검사·검역) 과정에서 중국의 각종 식품안전 관련 규제(비관세장벽)에 막혀 수출 확대에 어려움을 겪어왔다. 한·중FTA시대를 맞아 향후 한·중 간 농식품 교역이 더욱 확대될 것으로 예상되기 때문에 농식품의 안전에 관한 문제는 더욱 중요할 것으로 판단된다.

우리나라 입장에서 한·중FTA의 효과를 극대화하기 위해서는 우리 농식품의 대중 수출을 확대하는 것이 관건이 될 것이다. 한·중FTA시대에 즈음하여 우리 농식품의 대중 수출 증대를 위해서는 중국의 제도와 정책에 부합하는 실질적인 수출전략 수립이 필요하다. 특히 현재 우리나라 농식품의 대중 수출 과정에서 발생하고 있는 현안 문제 해결을 위한 노력이 우선적으로 이루어져야 할 것이다.

본 연구는 대중 수출 과정에서의 한국 농식품 안전 문제 발생 실태를 파악하고, 우리 농식품의 대중 수출 확대를 위한 식품안전분야에서의 한·중 협력방안을 모색하는 데 주안점을 두었다. 즉 본 연구는 중국의 식품안전 관리체계를 파악하고, 우리나라 농식품의 대중 수출에 가장 큰 걸림돌로 작용하고 있는 대중 수출과정상의 식품안전 관련 문제 발생 실태 파악과 대응방안을 모색하고, 우리 정부의 대중 농식품 수출 확대 정책 수립의 근거를 제시하고자 하는 취지에서 이루어 졌다. 그중에서도 특히 대중 농식품 수출 확대를 위해 대중 수출상의 통관(검사·검역) 과정에서 발생하고 있는 비관세장벽에 해당하는 문제에 초점을 두었다. 한·중FTA 협정문에서 식물위생검역(SPS)이나 무역기술장벽(TBT)에 해당하는 비관세장벽에 관한 관련 사안에 대해서는 양자간 분쟁해결절차의 적용을 배제한다고 명시하고 있기 때문에 이러한 문제는 양국이 협상을 통해서만 해결할 수 있는 상황이다. 따라서 이 연구에서는 대중 농식품 수출 확대를 위해 활용할 수 있는 한·중 농식품 안전분야 협력방안을 제시하였다.

Background of Research Since the establishment of Korea-China diplomatic ties in 1992, agri-food trade between the two countries has increased continually, and this trend is expected to continue in the future. In the process of agro-food trade between Korea and China, food safety has been a constant issue. The safety problem of agri-food imported from China has occurred frequently, and the food safety issue has often been an export barrier in exporting Korean agro-food to China. As the conclusion of the Korea-China FTA is expected to rapidly increase agro-food trade between the two nations, the safety issue of exported and imported foods will be more important than ever. In terms of the efficient utilization of the FTA, it is crucial to expand domestic agri-food exports to China. For this, practical export strategies should be established in accord with Chinese systems and policies. First, efforts are needed to solve current issues in the process of exporting Korean agri-food to China. Therefore, this research focused on examining the present state of safety problems of domestic agro-food in the export process to China, and seeking the two countries' cooperation plans in the field of food safety to expand Korean agri-food exports to China. That is, this study aimed to identify the current status of food safety problems, the biggest obstacle to the export of Korean agri-food to China, prepare countermeasures, and present the basis for the establishment of the Korean government's policy for expanding agro-food exports to China. Particularly, we focused on the problems of non-tariff barriers occurring in the customs (inspection/quarantine) process for export to China in the area of food safety.

Method of Research For this study, we utilized the literature and statistical data, and conducted interviews, surveys, and joint (commissioned) research with China Agricultural University. By using the literature and statistical data, we analyzed the two countries' features of agri-food supply and demand, consumption structures, trade trends, and management and supervision systems. Next, we carried out interviews and surveys on Chinese and Korean agri-food production, marketing and trading companies and groups, people in charge of agro-food inspection and quarantine, and safety control institutions to grasp the food safety problems in the agri-food export and import process and cooperation tasks between the two nations, and draw cooperation plans. Domestically, we collected experts' opinions by visiting the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, the Trade Association, and the Food Industry Association. We also gathered various opinions, holding a consultative meeting with specialists in China's agri-food safety laws and systems, and agro-food export specialists. In addition, we conducted Korea-China joint research with China Agricultural University. Because it was necessary to reflect the Chinese government's stance and demand as well as Korea's position to derive cooperation plans of the two nations, we commissioned a study to China's professional institution with public confidence. Through the study by proxy of China's relevant institution for the part on which direct research is difficult due to the country's closed feature, we pursued to overcome the limit of overseas research and improve the quality of the study.

Research Results and Implications An analysis of cases that failed the Chinese customs inspection in the export of Korean agri-food between June 2014 and May 2015 showed several characteristics and implications. First, among the major reasons why Korean agri-food failed to pass the customs, the proportion of a specific reason was markedly high in each region: inadequate packaging in Shandong province; violation of Chinese standards for the microorganism/microelement content in Guangdong province; inadequate labeling in Shanghai City; and excess of standards for microorganisms and microelements in Liaoning, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces and Beijing City. Second, failure in customs clearance was concentrated on a certain cause by product: inadequate packaging for confectionery, beverages, candy/chocolate products, edible salts, etc.; excess of microorganism standards for fishery products, ramyeon, powdered milk, etc.; and inadequate labeling for sugar/syrup and alcoholic beverages. Third, it is necessary to set up differentiated plans by each customs region (port) in the export of Korean agri-food to China. Given the concentrated cases of disqualification due to a particular reason by region, tailored countermeasures are needed. If the percentage of a specific item's failure is high in a certain area, it is necessary to solve the causes or consider changing the export customs region (port) to another area. According to the result of the survey on domestic agri-food exporting firms, they requested the following to the Korean government for food trade with China: simplifying export documents; relaxing export quarantine standards; providing continued support and relaxing administrative procedures; strengthening discussion on agri-food standards with the Chinese authorities; and implementing education programs related to export to China. These exporters also requested cooperation centered on difficulties in the past export process to the Chinese government as follows: nationally unified customs application of food labeling standards and maintenance of consistency; the relaxation of sanitation inspection and quarantine standards and reduction in the duration; and prompt notification in case of changes in quarantine regulations. The companies also requested to both the Korean and Chinese governments the two governments' mutual certification of various certificates (including sanitation certificates and certificates of origin); simplification of administrative procedures for export and import; and the speedy implementation of the FTA and strengthening of mutual cooperation. As for the basic direction for partnership in the field of agri-food safety to promote Korea-China food trade, it is needed to prepare cooperative plans based on articles of the Korea-China FTA; carry out government-led cooperation projects; strengthen active cooperative measures; establish a mid- and long-term road map for partnership to expand export and implement cooperation projects by stages; and increase support for small and medium-sized enterprises. We presented the following Korea-China cooperative plans in the field of agri-food safety for expanding food exports to China: 1) partnership utilizing the results of the Korea-China FTA; 2) collaboration through the government-authorized agencies' business cooperation; 3) the creation of a cooperative inspection and quarantine system for agri-food export and import; 4) strengthening of agri-food businesses in diplomatic offices in China and the expansion of areas for dispatching officers in charge; 5) mutual notification of changes in relevant policies and systems; and 6) the improvement of partnership between exporting and importing companies. First, for cooperation utilizing the results of the Korea-China FTA, it will be the most effective to establish and operate the SPS Committee and the TBT Committee. The FTA specifies that bilateral conflict resolution procedures are not applied to SPS and TBT-related issues. Thus, to complement this, the agreement recommends utilizing the mediation process of a specific non-tariff measure. After the implementation of the Korea-China FTA, it is needed to first consider employing the SPS Committee or the TBT Committee in case of disputes due to non-tariff measures in trade between the two countries. Through the two committees, the two countries need to immediately initiate animal plant health inspection negotiations for the major agri-food (i.e. strategic export items) of which one country asked the other to allow the import, so that the conclusion of Korea-China FTA will have a practical effect. Second, collaboration through business cooperation with government-authorized agencies can include strengthening partnership with China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC). As a part of support policies for expanding agri-food exports to China, the Korean government has commissioned the Chinese Customs Support Project for Exporting Agri-food to CCIC Korea through aT. However, it is hard to maximize the project's performance because of the following reasons: the narrow support area and the small scale of the project; insufficient support projects in the preparation stage for export; the project's low efficiency due to dispersed players of the project; firms' low awareness of the agri-food export support project owing to the lack of PR for the project; and companies' insufficient participation in the project and inadequate management of participating enterprises. The ways to solve these problems include 1) expanding the scale of support projects and increasing support for companies producing promising export items; 2) strengthening preparation support in the pre-export stage; and 3) making and distributing export manuals by agri-food item for exporting to China. Third, the establishment of the cooperative inspection and quarantine system for exporting and importing agri-food is a measure to promote agro-food trade by preventing problems related to non-tariff barriers between Korea and China through mutually dispatching inspection and quarantine officers and strengthening preliminary inspection and quarantine for exported agri-food. Further, it is also necessary to consider introducing a joint inspection and quarantine system for exporting and importing agro-food between the two countries. Fourth, it is required to strengthen the agri-food business of diplomatic offices in China and expand the area for dispatching offices in charge. It is needed to upgrade the present rank of an agricultural attache of an embassy to bureau director-level, have a councilor, and additionally dispatch a manager, thereby enhancing the professionalism and speed of business. Also, it is necessary to consider supporting domestic firms' agri-food export to China by dispatching agricultural attaches to all Korean Consulates General in Qingdao, Shenyang, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc. Fifth, in case of the introduction of or changes in systems, regulations and policies related to agri-food export and import, the advance notification of the changes between relevant institutions of Korea and China can reduce trial and error in mutual agri-food trade. Sixth, strengthening cooperation between exporting and importing companies can be conducted by the private sector, while the above five plans are cooperation measures at the government level. The two nations' companies can cooperate in such a way that exporters strengthen efforts to increase the quality and price competitiveness of products on the supply side and importers (buyers) are in charge of the process of import and domestic marketing and sales. This partnership will improve the business efficiency and bring benefits to both parties. Importers of an agri-food importing country have a higher understanding of their country's agri-food customs system, regulations, and inspection and quarantine system than exporters of an exporting nation. Therefore, the importers can reduce the time and costs for customs procedure and promptly respond to problems in the customs process.

Researchers: Chung Chunggil, Hwang Yunjae, Lim Chehwan Research Period: 2015. 1.∼2015. 8. E-mail address: cgchung@krei.re.kr