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Japan and Politics

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Anonymous

Guest
Opposition leaders take stand against end to U.S. beef import ban



Kyodo News

June 13, 2006

Yahoo! News Asia



(Kyodo) _ Leaders of four opposition parties on Tuesday took a firm stand against an imminent decision by the Japanese government to lift its ban on U.S. beef imports over mad cow disease, saying such action would be totally politically-motivated and would sacrifice food safety.



Heads and high-ranking officials of the Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party and the People's New Party rapped Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for his "kowtowing" policy to the United States.



They urged the government not to decide on the resumption of beef trade before Koizumi's meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush slated for June 29 in Washington.



DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa told about 700 participants of an urgently-organized meeting to oppose the embargo's termination, saying, "Food safety is a different issue from politics. Prime Minister Koizumi ignores people's concerns so as to please the (U.S.) president and such an attitude is a major problem."



JCP chief Kazuo Shii said, "Politics that would prioritize loyalty to the United States over the lives of Japanese people are wrong."



He also criticized the United States for not convincing Japanese consumers enough about the safety of American beef, saying, "If the exporter cannot follow rules of the importer, it is natural to stop the shipment." ADVERTISEMENT



Japan reinstated its import ban on Jan. 20, only a month after the original two-year-old restriction was lifted, after a backbone was found in a veal shipment at Narita airport. The material was prohibited under bilaterally agreed export requirements to safeguard against mad cow disease.



During a bilateral experts' meeting in May, Tokyo approved a U.S. report detailing recent safety-inspection outcomes at 35 U.S. meatpacking plants certified to export beef to Japan.



The government has been holding risk communication sessions with consumers and other stakeholders across Japan since June 1 to explain Washington's efforts to prevent a recurrence of the January incident.



Sadao Fuchigami, deputy SDP leader, said that it is "totally unforgivable to bring Japanese people's lives as a souvenir" to the United States, linking the beef issue with Koizumi's trip to Washington.



Hisaoki Kamei, secretary general of the People's New Party, said that he believes the United States treats Japan "like a colony" and demanded that the Japanese government stand up for the safety of its people.



Tokyo Medical University Professor Kiyotoshi Kaneko, who was formerly engaged in risk assessment of U.S. beef as a member of the Food Safety Committee, warned that June 2006 could be a turning point in Japan's food safety administration.



Describing the imminent decision as a "linchpin" of the country's future, Kaneko called on the government to "consider consumers' interests as a top priority." He also pointed out that many Japanese believe that the United States "makes light of" them.



Kaneko, who is thought to have a cautious stance on Japan's resumption of U.S. beef imports, stepped down as a committee member at the end of March.





asia.news.yahoo.com
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Testing all cattle will reassure Japan's consumers: Creekstone CEO



Kyodo News - Japan

June 13, 2006



(Kyodo) _ The lack of blanket testing for mad cow disease in the United States will make it difficult for Japanese consumers to trust the safety of American beef and for it to regain its market share in Japan even if Tokyo lifts its import ban, the head of Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC said Monday.



The meatpacker, based in Arkansas City, Kansas, underlined its position in a federal lawsuit it filed in March against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for denying its request to voluntarily test all cattle for the brain-wasting disease, formally called bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE.



Speaking at a press conference in Washington, where the company's executives are visiting to lobby lawmakers, Creekstone's chief executive officer and founder, John Stewart, said there is a growing bipartisan support for his company's position.



Testing all cattle for BSE "will be the only way to quickly regain the market share" because it will help relieve the lingering safety concerns about American beef among consumers in Japan, which conducts blanket testing for domestic beef, Stewart said.



Stewart also said blanket testing "will help insulate us" from Japanese concerns and other problems if another case of mad cow disease is detected in the United States.



"We've got to figure out a way to protect us," he said, noting that Australian beef has boosted its Japanese market share since Japan first imposed the import ban on U.S. beef in October 2003, when the United States discovered its first case of mad cow disease.



Japan had been the largest importer of U.S. beef before then.



Stewart also expressed concerns about how recent problems found in the audit process for South Korea to resume imports of American beef could possibly impact Japan's decision to lift the ban, which is expected this month.



South Korea has recently delayed the resumption after some of the U.S. meat-processing plants did not meet the requirements agreed between Seoul and Washington.



Japan's current import ban was imposed in January, only a month after the original two-year-old restriction was lifted, because a backbone material was found in a veal shipment despite being prohibited under bilaterally agreed export requirements to safeguard against mad cow disease.



Under the bilateral accord, exports are limited to meat from cattle aged up to 20 months, with brain, spinal cords and other specified risk materials removed. Testing for the disease is not required.





asia.news.yahoo.com
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
U.S. wants all plants approved for S.Korea beef



Reuters

Mon Jun 12, 2006

By Charles Abbott



WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - U.S. beef will not go to South Korea until Seoul approves all 38 American plants that want to export beef, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said on Monday, adding there were "minor" issues at "a handful of plants."



The disagreement over plants has delayed the re-opening of sales to South Korea, once the No. 3 market for U.S. beef, possibly until July. Both nations say they are standing on principle. For the United States, the issue is acceptance of its meat safety safeguards in the era of mad cow disease.



"We want to make sure our system is accepted," Johanns told reporters. "Anything that we've inspected ... that we submit to them as ready for trade, we want their sign-off on that."



South Korea's agriculture minister said last week that U.S. plants must meet standards expected by Seoul. "We're taking a tough stance on the issue of resuming U.S. beef imports," said Minister Park Hong-soo on a radio program.



A U.S. beef industry official said meatpackers "support the idea of equivalency" among inspection systems and that each nation can certify the adequacy of its system. He said USDA told South Korean officials that trade would be delayed while that issue and the question of tolerance levels in export beef were resolved.



But the head of Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC said the real issue is competitive pressures among U.S. packers. Creekstone CEO John Stewart said on Monday he believed three of the largest U.S. beef packers -- Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Cargill Inc. and Swift & Co. -- asked USDA to delay trade until their plants were approved.



South Korea has barred U.S. beef since the first U.S. case of mad cow was found in December 2003. It has agreed to accept U.S. boneless beef from cattle aged 30 months or less. But a date for re-opening the market has been delayed repeatedly.



According to Stewart, Cargill, Tyson and Swift own six of the seven plants that failed South Korean audit last month. The rejections included the two largest beef exporting plants, Stewart said. Another Creekstone official indicated the information came from South Korean sources.



"Why should 31 plants have to wait?"
Stewart asked at a breakfast with reporters. Creekstone wants to sell beef to South Korea.



Responding to Creekstone's assertion, Johanns said, "We don't want to send the message to Korea or any other country they can pick and choose" among U.S. exporters. He said the "difficulties" at "a handful of plants" were "very minor (and) can be remedied."



"What I said to the Korean ambassador is it is our system that we want to have accepted. And that means all of the plants that we've inspected," said Johanns.



Stewart listed the seven U.S. plants that he said failed the audits. At least one other, somewhat different list circulated among Asian journalists.



today.reuters.com

------------------------------------------------------------------

Creekstone Alleges USDA Blocking Beef Trade to S. Korea



High Plains / Midwest Ag Journal

06/13/06



OMAHA (DTN) -- Creekstone says USDA held up South Korean beef trade after some packers' plants failed inspections by South Korean officials.



The Kansas meatpacker that is suing USDA over voluntary mad-cow testing alleged Monday that U.S. officials are effectively blocking beef trade with South Korea because seven plants from major meatpacking companies failed inspections even though 31 plants were approved to ship to South Korea.



John Stewart, chief executive officer of Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, said Monday USDA chose to delay any beef shipments because plants owned by three of the largest packers in the country were not approved by South Korea.



Stewart's claim comes after South Korean officials had declared its beef ban would be lifted June 7 then backed off that statement because U.S. officials said no such agreement had been reached.



hpj.com
 

Murgen

Well-known member
Not only is the party in power not asking for testing, the opposition is only asking for rule compliance.



He also criticized the United States for not convincing Japanese consumers enough about the safety of American beef, saying, "If the exporter cannot follow rules of the importer, it is natural to stop the shipment." ADVERTISEMENT



Japan reinstated its import ban on Jan. 20, only a month after the original two-year-old restriction was lifted, after a backbone was found in a veal shipment at Narita airport. The material was prohibited under bilaterally agreed export requirements to safeguard against mad cow disease.
 

fedup2

Well-known member
Kruse writes:
[Ag Sec. Mike Johanns confirmed that the USDA did turn down reopening beef exports to Korea because they would not approve all 37 plants inspected. 31 were approved, but they didn't include Excel, IBP or Swift plants, so the USDA said no to all. The USDA does everything it can to protect the big 3, helping them maintain their concentration of the beef packing industry. Every decision the USDA makes, COOL, writing rules to import old cattle from Canada, rejecting private testing for BSE, and now refusing to let 31 packers trade beef with Korea, damages the interests of producers. Major packers and the USDA and it's been a good investment for them. ]
 

Mike

Well-known member
Murgen said:
Maybe the USDA is listening to all that ask for a "level playing field"

Wasn't very level when they de-listed that little company for including bone-in products. Especially since the USDA admitted they hadn't advised them correctly of products to be shipped to the Japs.

FSIS took the blame and still de-listed them. Yea, real level.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
The little guys need to ban together and then they would have more clout then the big three.
I still think Mrs. Fong needs to enter the fight with a club in one hand and a loaded gun in the other. She should find Joann and throw her rear end in jail still she squaks!!This whole thing stinks like rotten meat.
 

fedup2

Well-known member
More thoughts from Kruse:

[ Creekstone's CEO was right. South Korea said they'd take beef from 31 U.S. beef plants and the USDA said "no." The USDA export policy isn't like Burger King. No special orders are allowed. You get your beef the way the USDA, carrying water for major U.S. packers, wants to sell it, or not at all. You can't have it BSE tested. You can't have beef from 31 plants if you don't take it from other plants owned by Excel, IBP, and Swift. The USDA has done everything it can to help the major packers maintain their concentrated market share of the U.S. packing industry, thwarting competition from smaller niche packers willing to build business like Burger King, willing to let global consumers have it their way.

The USDA has muddled the resumption of beef export trade with Asia. NCBA, the packer lackey, argues that Japan and Korea are trying to regulate the U.S. beef industry. That's bull. They aren't telling us how to regulate beef here. We are telling them how to regulate their beef industry by imposing our rules on them. Japan agreed to accept beef from the U.S. with lower standards than required from their own industry, despite Japanese consumer resistance. Relative to South Korea, Creekstone's CEO John Stewart, says, "The situation is just another issue with our USDA. This story needs investigation. I'm impressed by the fact that the USDA always seems to find a way to slow things down. I compare this situation to 38 graduate students taking their exams, and seven of the students failing. No one graduates until all seven could pass." USDA Sec. of Agriculture, Mike Johanns confirmed that they had done this. The unapproved plants process unsegregated cattle from Canada. South Korea wants U.S. beef and the USDA told them they get what we sell them and like it, or get none at all. The Korean Ag Minister says, "The U.S. does not consider the concerns voiced as being a problem, but from our view, they are."

Bill Bullard, CEO of R-Calf USA, said "the USDA is effectively blocking competition from packers that are willing to meet customer demands." The USDA/AMI/NCBA response is that if you won't buy U.S. beef the way we want to sell it to you, we'll hit you in the nose with trade sanctions. You can't have it the way you want, but you can't not buy it. You have to buy it and you have to take what we sell you! That's an interesting commercial approach, but one with dubious prospects of success. ]
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
feeder said:
This is crazy!!!!! I hope someday the USDA is held accountable. I don't know how Johanns can sleep at night.

I sometimes wonder how the NCBA lackeys sleep at night :???:


This would be like telling Korea they have to buy US trucks- and Korea makes a deal with GMC because of it being a better product for the value, which includes a higher safety rating- but the USDA tells them you have to buy Dodges and Fords too or you can't buy any- and if you don't buy any we'll take you to the WTO over a trade violation :roll: .....
 

Econ101

Well-known member
I heard a news report that the Justice Department was going after Congressmen who take campaign contributions and then vote according to what the contributors want.

Do we have enough jail space for all of them?
 
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