Japan Not Accepting US Aging Technology

[Oldtimer]

Japan cautious over restarting US beef imports


AFP , TOKYO
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005,Page 12
Japan indicated yesterday that it would not rush to resume imports of US beef until assessing concerns about mad cow disease amid intense US pressure ahead of a visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"We cannot say when at the moment" Japan will lift the ban, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda, the government spokesman, told a news conference.

He emphasized that Japan had already accepted a key US demand by agreeing not to test every cow to be slaughtered.

The stumbling point is how to test the cows' ages, with Japan saying there is not enough evidence to go ahead with methodology proposed by the US.

"The US proposals came after we reached a scientific conclusion in Japan that cows younger than 20 months old can be exempted from all-out checks," Hosoda said.

Japan used to be the biggest foreign market for US beef but shut off the multibillion-dollar trade in December 2003 after a cow slaughtered in Washington state was found to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, linked to a fatal brain condition in humans.

Members of the US Congress from farm states have called for trade sanctions against Japan unless it resumes buying US beef soon.

US President George W. Bush personally urged Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, one of his key international allies, to lift the ban in a telephone call last Wednesday, a message Rice is expected to emphasize in meetings in Tokyo on Saturday.

Yasufumi Tanahashi, the state minister overseeing food safety, said the government would "watch independent debate" at the experts' panel on beef, suggesting Tokyo would not put political pressure on it before Rice's visit.

[agman]

[quote="Oldtimer"]Japan cautious over restarting US beef imports


AFP , TOKYO
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005,Page 12
Japan indicated yesterday that it would not rush to resume imports of US beef until assessing concerns about mad cow disease amid intense US pressure ahead of a visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"We cannot say when at the moment" Japan will lift the ban, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda, the government spokesman, told a news conference.

He emphasized that Japan had already accepted a key US demand by agreeing not to test every cow to be slaughtered.

The stumbling point is how to test the cows' ages, with Japan saying there is not enough evidence to go ahead with methodology proposed by the US.

"The US proposals came after we reached a scientific conclusion in Japan that cows younger than 20 months old can be exempted from all-out checks," Hosoda said.

Response..R-Calf's accusations and the judge's ruling did nothing to encourage Japan to re-establish trade contrary to R- Calf's misguided beliefs. Read the post this AM by Bill Burger. Those comments from the Japanese are consisting with what I said shortly after the judge's ruling on keeping the border closed. Have a great day.

[Tommy]

agman...Those comments from the Japanese are consisting with what I said shortly after the judge's ruling on keeping the border closed. Have a great day.


Those comments are hearsay and not official. If the Japanese feel that way why don't they come out and say it officially?

[agman]

tommy...Those comments are hearsay and not official. If the Japanese feel that way why don't they come out and say it officially?[/quote]

REsponse: Were the quotes previousluy posted heresay?

[alabama]

I say; only with country of origin labeling should the US allow the importation on any beef products. That includes live, boxed, cooked, caned in soup, or even mummified. If it isn’t labeled and it came from a bovine, don’t bring it in.
Label where it came from all the way to the plate and we will look at what is safe and what is not. How can Japan have a problem with that?
Be COOL or get out of the USA

[Tam]

[Sandhusker]

The Japanese, as expected, have been stalling and making excuses since the start. It's just one reason after the other after the other after the other. What else does one expect when you trample on a nations's sovereignity and demand they do something they don't want to do?

[agman]

[quote="Sandhusker"]The Japanese, as expected, have been stalling and making excuses since the start. It's just one reason after the other after the other after the other. What else does one expect when you trample on a nations's sovereignity and demand they do something they don't want to do?[/quote]


Response...That is quite a change from your phony "do what the customer wants - the customer is always right" position. Now it is delay and politics!!!! Officially they have never stated they would accept our product if tested. Have a great day.

[Tommy]

agman... Were the quotes previousluy posted heresay?

You tell me agman. When a reporter says a Japanese official told me....bla bla bla..

No names of the official(s)...No official statement from the Japanese government.

Hearsay in my opinion.

[agman]

[quote="Tommy"]agman... Were the quotes previousluy posted heresay?

You tell me agman. When a reporter says a Japanese official told me....bla bla bla..

No names of the official(s)...No official statement from the Japanese government.

Hearsay in my opinion.[/quote]

Response...I that kinda like believing everything R- Calf tells you Tommy? I will be on a conference call tommorw, it won't be heresay.

[Sandhusker]

[Kato]

From lmaweb.com - Livestock Marketing Association Mar 16

"Don’t look for Japan to offer a “date certain” for reopening their borders to U.S. beef, when U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice meets with top Japanese officials later this week. The top government spokesman, asked if there would be a “date certain,” said “I think it will be fairly difficult” to set a date….meanwhile, some news reports this morning say that Japanese officials told R-CALF USA officials that their actions to keep the border closed are hindering the return of U.S. beef to Japan. There was no immediate comment from R-CALF on these reports"