Efforts Underway to Expand Beef Trade With Japan
USAgNet - 08/01/2007
USDA Secretary Mike Johanns will meet with Japan's agriculture minister in Washington D.C. this week to discuss efforts to expand U.S. beef exports. The agenda for the meeting to take place on Thursday includes beef trade, but was also designed to help the two officials get to know each other better.
The Bush Administration has made it a priority to convince Japan to accept a broader range of U.S. beef exports. Last year, Japan partially lifted the ban on U.S. beef, that was put in place in 2003 when the first mad cow disease popped up in the U.S.
Japan currently accepts beef from cattle up to 20 months old, but the U.S. wants to see beef from older cattle traded as well. U.S. officials hope the World Organization for Animal Health's "controlled risk" status granted to the U.S. in May will help further open trade.
USAgNet - 08/01/2007
USDA Secretary Mike Johanns will meet with Japan's agriculture minister in Washington D.C. this week to discuss efforts to expand U.S. beef exports. The agenda for the meeting to take place on Thursday includes beef trade, but was also designed to help the two officials get to know each other better.
The Bush Administration has made it a priority to convince Japan to accept a broader range of U.S. beef exports. Last year, Japan partially lifted the ban on U.S. beef, that was put in place in 2003 when the first mad cow disease popped up in the U.S.
Japan currently accepts beef from cattle up to 20 months old, but the U.S. wants to see beef from older cattle traded as well. U.S. officials hope the World Organization for Animal Health's "controlled risk" status granted to the U.S. in May will help further open trade.