Following a week in Japan to promote trade between the two nations and to improve market access for US beef to Japan, the two sides, with regards to US beef, have agreed to keep the conversation going in a series of "senior and working level meetings in order to establish a mutually agreeable framework for the important conditions for US beef and beef products," according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) news release.USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to Japan to work on the beef issues and to improve the trade ties between the two nations in the area of agricultural trade. This is part of the larger effort of President Obama to expand US exports through the National Export Initiative. Vilsack believes any restrictions place on US beef should be based on scientific knowledge and acceptable international standards. Japan was the biggest export market for US beef prior to the 2003 discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in a downer cow in the United States.
In 2006 the US did get limited access to Japan's beef market. However, Japan put in place restrictions that only allowed beef from cattle 20 months or younger, and exporters must remove spinal columns, brain tissue, and other material thought to increase the chances of one getting the disease, reports KWQC6 News online.
Though there appears to be a long road to travel before US beef will have greater access to Japanese markets, the US and Japan are committed to a strong bilateral relationship in agricultural trade, according to Secretary Vilsack.
To read more on the National Export Initiative, click here.
To read the USDA news release, click here.
To read the KWQC News online report, click here.
Posted: 04/12/10
