Japan's Beef Market Is Opening Too Slowly, USDA's Conner Says
By Alan Bjerga
Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's refusal to open its market to U.S. beef is frustrating trade officials in advance of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's U.S. visit in November, Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner told reporters.
``The market should be open by now,'' Conner told reporters today in Washington after speaking to a meeting of the Meat Export Federation, a trade group representing Tyson Foods Inc., Swift & Co., Sara Lee Corp. and others. ``Progress, of course, has been slower than we'd like.''
Japan suspended shipments from a Cargill Inc. plant on Oct. 17 after a leg tendon was found in a cargo of 9 metric tons. The nation was the largest buyer of U.S. beef before the first U.S. case of mad-cow disease was found in 2003. Japan now only imports beef from younger animals that scientists say have a lower risk of disease.
Japan imported about 30,000 tons of beef from the U.S. in the first nine months of this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Bjerga in Washington at [email protected] .
Last Updated: October 29, 2007 13:59 EDT
By Alan Bjerga
Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's refusal to open its market to U.S. beef is frustrating trade officials in advance of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's U.S. visit in November, Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner told reporters.
``The market should be open by now,'' Conner told reporters today in Washington after speaking to a meeting of the Meat Export Federation, a trade group representing Tyson Foods Inc., Swift & Co., Sara Lee Corp. and others. ``Progress, of course, has been slower than we'd like.''
Japan suspended shipments from a Cargill Inc. plant on Oct. 17 after a leg tendon was found in a cargo of 9 metric tons. The nation was the largest buyer of U.S. beef before the first U.S. case of mad-cow disease was found in 2003. Japan now only imports beef from younger animals that scientists say have a lower risk of disease.
Japan imported about 30,000 tons of beef from the U.S. in the first nine months of this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Bjerga in Washington at [email protected] .
Last Updated: October 29, 2007 13:59 EDT