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Damn shame,with all the hungry people in the world

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HAY MAKER

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No. 23
Friday February 3, 2006
Page A-4

ISSN 1523-567X

Regulation & Law



International Trade
Huge U.S. Beef Shipment to Japan Blocked In Port; Importers Ask U.S. to Pay Damages


TOKYO--Shipments of more than 2,000 tons of U.S. beef to Japan are being blocked from distribution by Japanese customs officers and are in danger of becoming "homeless" while an industry group prepares to ask Washington to pay for damages, an industry official told BNA Feb. 2.

As of Jan. 31, more than 1,400 tons of U.S. beef--most of it in chilled form and thus needing to be consumed promptly--ordered by member firms of the Japan Meat Trade Association were held up in bonded warehouses and refrigerated containers, said Tatsuo Iyama, JMTA executive managing director.

Including on-board shipments that have yet to be unloaded at Japanese ports, the total tonnage would exceed 2,000 tons, he said. The aggregate import cost would be 2.3 billion yen or more than $19.8 million, Iyama estimated.

In December 2003, when Japan imposed the first import ban on U.S. beef, as much as 13,000 tons of U.S. beef were incinerated in Japan, the cost paid for by insurance. This time, however, Iyama said "insurance companies refused to cover the risk, and we would be forced to foot the bill unless the U.S. government and/or the Japanese government pay for it."

JMTA is asking the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to accept the ship-back of the blocked meat at U.S. expense, but it has not heard back from the embassy, Iyama said. He also said that if that option is not possible, importers would agree to have the meat frozen and store it until Japan reopens imports--provided the United States paid for storage and other costs.

"Our view ... is that the United States should take full responsibility and pay for the entire cost since the problem was caused by a U.S. company," he said. "My concern is that if the United States can get away with not taking responsibility, then our members will think that it is too dangerous to import U.S. beef since nobody could be sure if similar problems would not happen."

Asked about the possibility of re-exporting the meat to third countries, such as Taiwan and Korea, Iyama said this option would be impractical since other countries would spend weeks before making decisions. As a result, he said, the U.S. beef could become "homeless."

Japan resumed imports of U.S. beef in mid-December but after finding packages that contained spinal bones in January, it again halted imports in mid-January. Spinal bones are defined as risky parts that could cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.


By Toshio Aritake
 
4,000,000 lbs of beef X $3.00 per pound (guesstimate) = $12,000,000.00

Would have paid for a lot of tests. :???:

My guess is that most of this beef was shipped by smaller packers. If so, the "Big Boys" will probably have less competition in the near future because the Jap importers ain't gonna pay for meat they can't eat!
 
Can we find out who did the shipments? Shouldn't the USDA stand behind their inspection system and take some of the pay out of their chief inspector's hide? I am not looking for heads to roll here but there has to be some kind of accountabilty otherwise USDA inspected means nothing more than a little blue ink on the outside of a piece of meat. My 5 year old would be just as good at that job. She can get blue paint everwhere if you are not careful.
 
Maybe we should see how good of insurance Atlantic Veal and Lamb has? Except USDA has to accept a good part of responsibility too....
 
See what can happen when you fiddle-fart around and not do the job right in the first place? Yet, they STILL haven't learned and we just took another black eye in the view of the Japanese consumers....and you can bet there is more coming. :mad:
 
Sandhusker said:
See what can happen when you fiddle-fart around and not do the job right in the first place? Yet, they STILL haven't learned and we just took another black eye in the view of the Japanese consumers....and you can bet there is more coming. :mad:

Wonder where the 30 month argument is now? :lol: :lol:
 
Mike said:
Sandhusker said:
See what can happen when you fiddle-fart around and not do the job right in the first place? Yet, they STILL haven't learned and we just took another black eye in the view of the Japanese consumers....and you can bet there is more coming. :mad:

Wonder where the 30 month argument is now? :lol: :lol:

Maybe it is in the same place as the "all beef ,from a country known to have BSE, is a genuine risk of death" arguement. :lol: :lol: :wink:
 
TimH said:
Mike said:
Sandhusker said:
See what can happen when you fiddle-fart around and not do the job right in the first place? Yet, they STILL haven't learned and we just took another black eye in the view of the Japanese consumers....and you can bet there is more coming. :mad:

Wonder where the 30 month argument is now? :lol: :lol:

Maybe it is in the same place as the "all beef ,from a country known to have BSE, is a genuine risk of death" arguement. :lol: :lol: :wink:

As far as I'm concerned, until you do what it takes to prove otherwise, every country that does have BSE carries a risk.
 
Sandhusker wrote..
As far as I'm concerned, until you do what it takes to prove otherwise, every country that does have BSE carries a risk.

Are you saying, Sandhusker, that beef ,even with the SRM's removed, would still pose a risk?? :???:
 
TimH said:
Sandhusker wrote..
As far as I'm concerned, until you do what it takes to prove otherwise, every country that does have BSE carries a risk.

Are you saying, Sandhusker, that beef ,even with the SRM's removed, would still pose a risk?? :???:

What worries me is the "economic" decision to remove SRM's from 30 month olds, but not 29 month olds.

Is there something magical that can happen in a month period of time that they are not telling us?

I think the Japs feel this way too.
 
Sandhusker said:
TimH said:
Mike said:
Wonder where the 30 month argument is now? :lol: :lol:

Maybe it is in the same place as the "all beef ,from a country known to have BSE, is a genuine risk of death" arguement. :lol: :lol: :wink:

As far as I'm concerned, until you do what it takes to prove otherwise, every country that does have BSE carries a risk.
What happen to Leo's comment to the US consumers about we have these firewalls so don't worry BSE is a NON ISSUE in the US. Are you telling us Leo LIED TO THE US CONSUMERS :shock:
 
Mike said:
TimH said:
Sandhusker wrote..
As far as I'm concerned, until you do what it takes to prove otherwise, every country that does have BSE carries a risk.

Are you saying, Sandhusker, that beef ,even with the SRM's removed, would still pose a risk?? :???:

What worries me is the "economic" decision to remove SRM's from 30 month olds, but not 29 month olds.

Is there something magical that can happen in a month period of time that they are not telling us?

I think the Japs feel this way too.

I'll re-word the question :roll: .........Are you saying, Sandhusker, that beef (regardless of age of the animal) even with the SRM's removed, would still pose a risk?? :???:
 
TimH said:
Mike said:
TimH said:
Sandhusker wrote..


Are you saying, Sandhusker, that beef ,even with the SRM's removed, would still pose a risk?? :???:

What worries me is the "economic" decision to remove SRM's from 30 month olds, but not 29 month olds.

Is there something magical that can happen in a month period of time that they are not telling us?

I think the Japs feel this way too.

I'll re-word the question :roll: .........Are you saying, Sandhusker, that beef (regardless of age of the animal) even with the SRM's removed, would still pose a risk?? :???:

Yes I am. It hasn't been proved otherwise.
 
Sandhusker wrote...
Yes I am. It hasn't been proved otherwise.

So what do you tell consumers of USA beef then..... that it is the safest beef in the world...... BUT it is still risky to consume it even though the SRM's have been removed???? Why not just suggest that they buy Australian beef instead??? BSE has not been found in Australia. It has been found in the USA.

:?
 
TimH said:
Sandhusker wrote...
Yes I am. It hasn't been proved otherwise.

So what do you tell consumers of USA beef then..... that it is the safest beef in the world...... BUT it is still risky to consume it even though the SRM's have been removed???? Why not just suggest that they buy Australian beef instead??? BSE has not been found in Australia. It has been found in the USA.

:?

Tell me, Tim. If BSE is contacted thru feed, how does it get from the stomach to the SRMs?
 
Sandhusker wrote...
Tell me, Tim. If BSE is contacted thru feed, how does it get from the stomach to the SRMs?

Good question, Sandhusker!!! I can't answer it.... and niether can Prusiner. Why do you think they have to resort to intra-cerebral innoculation to transmit BSE in the lab?? They have been trying to feed it for 25+ years. No luck...... but I digress.....(nice diversion attempt ,though)

Perhaps you can answer my question now.........Since you believe that beef from all cattle in a BSE positive country poses some risk("genuine risk of death"-R-calf),even with SRM's removed, why should consumers,foreign or domestic, continue to buy USA beef??? :? :?
 
TimH said:
Sandhusker wrote...
Tell me, Tim. If BSE is contacted thru feed, how does it get from the stomach to the SRMs?

Good question, Sandhusker!!! I can't answer it.... and niether can Prusiner. Why do you think they have to resort to intra-cerebral innoculation to transmit BSE in the lab?? They have been trying to feed it for 25+ years. No luck...... but I digress.....(nice diversion attempt ,though)

Perhaps you can answer my question now.........Since you believe that beef from all cattle in a BSE positive country poses some risk("genuine risk of death"-R-calf),even with SRM's removed, why should consumers,foreign or domestic, continue to buy USA beef??? :? :?

Consumers should do whatever they think is right for them, whether that is laughing at BSE or avoiding beef altogether. I think they should also have the opportunity to buy BSE tested beef, if that is what they want.
 
Sandhusker wrote...
Consumers should do whatever they think is right for them, whether that is laughing at BSE or avoiding beef altogether. I think they should also have the opportunity to buy BSE tested beef, if that is what they want.

Let me put it this way... Is Australian beef,or that of any other BSE free country, safer(BSE-wise) than USA beef? You have already stated that you believe USA beef poses a risk.

"Consumers should do whatever they think is right for them...."

Would "what is right for them" include buying imported beef if they perceived it to be safer than domestic?? If it was cheaper? If it was better quality? :?
 
TimH said:
Sandhusker wrote...
Consumers should do whatever they think is right for them, whether that is laughing at BSE or avoiding beef altogether. I think they should also have the opportunity to buy BSE tested beef, if that is what they want.

Let me put it this way... Is Australian beef,or that of any other BSE free country, safer(BSE-wise) than USA beef? You have already stated that you believe USA beef poses a risk.

"Consumers should do whatever they think is right for them...."

Would "what is right for them" include buying imported beef if they perceived it to be safer than domestic?? If it was cheaper? If it was better quality? :?

I think they should be able to buy whatever they want to for whatever reasons they may have.
 
Sandhusker said:
TimH said:
Sandhusker wrote...
Consumers should do whatever they think is right for them, whether that is laughing at BSE or avoiding beef altogether. I think they should also have the opportunity to buy BSE tested beef, if that is what they want.

Let me put it this way... Is Australian beef,or that of any other BSE free country, safer(BSE-wise) than USA beef? You have already stated that you believe USA beef poses a risk.

"Consumers should do whatever they think is right for them...."

Would "what is right for them" include buying imported beef if they perceived it to be safer than domestic?? If it was cheaper? If it was better quality? :?

I think they should be able to buy whatever they want to for whatever reasons they may have.

So if they wanted to buy beef for reasons of food safety (BSE concerns)) which would be the safer product, USA(risky with SRM's removed) or Australian(BSE free country/no SRM removal)??? :?
 

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