Resumed beef trade with Japan carries many restrictions
By Robert Pore
Grand Island Independent
June 22, 2006
Nebraska, US
An announcement that Japan will again accept U.S. beef into its market is good news for Nebraska producers, but a lot of restrictions are attached to the agreement, said Pete McClymont, president of the Nebraska Cattlemen.
"It's a good start in resuming trade, but we can't have unbridled happiness with this because they have enough qualifications in the agreement," McClymont said.
Those qualifications and restrictions that Japan has placed on the resumption of beef trade with the United States have McClymont concerned about the agreement's impact on cattle markets.
"We can't get our hopes up," he said.
"It's like the old Wendy's commercials, 'Show me the beef.' Well, show me the trade. Then we can be excited about it."
Nebraska was the nation's leading state in exporting beef to Japan in 2003, with sales estimated at more than $350 million.
McClymont said there is a lot of frustration among Nebraska's cattle producers about Japan's ban on American beef.
The continuation of the beef ban comes at a time when cattle prices have been on the decline and drought concerns are negatively affecting state's cattle herds.
"The cattle market isn't exactly great, and we have drought in widespread areas of Nebraska and the country," McClymont said. "People's patience or lack thereof has a lot to do with people's frustrations."
He said industry estimates that U.S. beef trade will be back at full speed within a year are optimistic.
One of the restrictions Japan has put on U.S. beef is that meat going into the country can't be from cattle older than 20 months.
American Meat Institute President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle said the vast majority of the U.S. beef supply will remain ineligible for export to Japan because of the age limitation on cattle.
"That's really going to limit some of this trade," McClymont said.
The nation's leading cattle organization, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), said it appreciates U.S. efforts to end Japan's beef embargo, but is still waiting for the end result of full resumption of trade.
"After years of empty promises and continued delays, U.S. beef producers remain skeptical of Japan's dependability as a trading partner," said Terry Stokes, chief executive officer of the NCBA.
What galls NCBA leadership is that under this current agreement, there remains no language to provide for the export of bone-in products or beef from animals between 20 and 30 months of age.
"The United States meets or exceeds all guidelines established by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to freely export beef and beef products from cattle aged 30 months and less," Stokes said. "Japan's requirement of boneless beef from cattle aged 20 months and less is an artificial and unscientific barrier to trade."
Stokes said Japan has become an unreliable trading partner.
"Our cattlemen have paid a tremendous price for the continued delays by Japanese officials to resume beef trade based on scientifically recognized principles," he said.
The NCBA is supporting bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate Wednesday that would require the U.S. Treasury to impose tariffs on Japanese exports if Japan does not reopen its domestic market to U.S. beef by Aug. 31.
"Although sanctions are not the preferred method to resolve these issues, those within the Japanese government favor protectionist standards over science-based standards for international trade," said NCBA President Mike John. "Our preference is free, fair and reliable trade based on sound science, but at this point they have left us with no other viable option."
John said each day the Japanese market remains closed, the U.S. beef industry suffers a negative economic impact of about $6.7 million. Since the border was closed following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States in December 2003, he said the U.S. beef industry has lost an estimated $6.07 billion.
While Japan continues to ban U.S. beef, the United States is allowing Japanese Kobe beef into this country. That market represents less than $1.5 million annually.
While the United States has had three positive cases of mad cow disease, Japan has had more than 20 cases of mad cow.
"Who are the Japanese officials to insinuate that U.S. beef is less than safe, when they've had 26 cases of BSE in a cattle herd that is roughly 3.5 percent the size of the U.S. herd?" John said. "It's just plain outrageous. They refuse U.S. beef because they refuse to stand for science-based trade policies and instead prefer political stonewalling."
Since June 1, 2004, USDA's Enhanced BSE Surveillance Program has tested 740,169 cattle at highest risk for BSE and has found only two confirmed cases.Resumed beef trade with Japan carries many restrictions
By Robert Pore
Grand Island Independent
June 22, 2006
Nebraska, US
An announcement that Japan will again accept U.S. beef into its market is good news for Nebraska producers, but a lot of restrictions are attached to the agreement, said Pete McClymont, president of the Nebraska Cattlemen.
"It's a good start in resuming trade, but we can't have unbridled happiness with this because they have enough qualifications in the agreement," McClymont said.
Those qualifications and restrictions that Japan has placed on the resumption of beef trade with the United States have McClymont concerned about the agreement's impact on cattle markets.
"We can't get our hopes up," he said.
"It's like the old Wendy's commercials, 'Show me the beef.' Well, show me the trade. Then we can be excited about it."
Nebraska was the nation's leading state in exporting beef to Japan in 2003, with sales estimated at more than $350 million.
McClymont said there is a lot of frustration among Nebraska's cattle producers about Japan's ban on American beef.
The continuation of the beef ban comes at a time when cattle prices have been on the decline and drought concerns are negatively affecting state's cattle herds.
"The cattle market isn't exactly great, and we have drought in widespread areas of Nebraska and the country," McClymont said. "People's patience or lack thereof has a lot to do with people's frustrations."
He said industry estimates that U.S. beef trade will be back at full speed within a year are optimistic.
One of the restrictions Japan has put on U.S. beef is that meat going into the country can't be from cattle older than 20 months.
American Meat Institute President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle said the vast majority of the U.S. beef supply will remain ineligible for export to Japan because of the age limitation on cattle.
"That's really going to limit some of this trade," McClymont said.
The nation's leading cattle organization, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), said it appreciates U.S. efforts to end Japan's beef embargo, but is still waiting for the end result of full resumption of trade.
"After years of empty promises and continued delays, U.S. beef producers remain skeptical of Japan's dependability as a trading partner," said Terry Stokes, chief executive officer of the NCBA.
What galls NCBA leadership is that under this current agreement, there remains no language to provide for the export of bone-in products or beef from animals between 20 and 30 months of age.
"The United States meets or exceeds all guidelines established by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to freely export beef and beef products from cattle aged 30 months and less," Stokes said. "Japan's requirement of boneless beef from cattle aged 20 months and less is an artificial and unscientific barrier to trade."
Stokes said Japan has become an unreliable trading partner.
"Our cattlemen have paid a tremendous price for the continued delays by Japanese officials to resume beef trade based on scientifically recognized principles," he said.
The NCBA is supporting bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate Wednesday that would require the U.S. Treasury to impose tariffs on Japanese exports if Japan does not reopen its domestic market to U.S. beef by Aug. 31.
"Although sanctions are not the preferred method to resolve these issues, those within the Japanese government favor protectionist standards over science-based standards for international trade," said NCBA President Mike John. "Our preference is free, fair and reliable trade based on sound science, but at this point they have left us with no other viable option."
John said each day the Japanese market remains closed, the U.S. beef industry suffers a negative economic impact of about $6.7 million. Since the border was closed following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States in December 2003, he said the U.S. beef industry has lost an estimated $6.07 billion.
While Japan continues to ban U.S. beef, the United States is allowing Japanese Kobe beef into this country. That market represents less than $1.5 million annually.
While the United States has had three positive cases of mad cow disease, Japan has had more than 20 cases of mad cow.
"Who are the Japanese officials to insinuate that U.S. beef is less than safe, when they've had 26 cases of BSE in a cattle herd that is roughly 3.5 percent the size of the U.S. herd?" John said. "It's just plain outrageous. They refuse U.S. beef because they refuse to stand for science-based trade policies and instead prefer political stonewalling."
Since June 1, 2004, USDA's Enhanced BSE Surveillance Program has tested 740,169 cattle at highest risk for BSE and has found only two confirmed cases.
theindependent.com
theindependent.com
The NCBA is still touting the USDA's flawed BSE policy. Do the Japanese have reason not to trust a USDA that can not on its own, without Phyllis Fong, detect BSE infection in the cattle tested?
Then the USDA has the audacity to deny Creekstone the ability to test for bse for their Japanese customers because of the inability to the tests to detect bse in a certain age of cattle.
What a joke.
John said. "It's just plain outrageous. They refuse U.S. beef because they refuse to stand for science-based trade policies and instead prefer political stonewalling."
This is another hoot. Who stonewalled on bse protections for the country under MCOOL's lack of funding?--That happened to be Senator Thad Cochran from MS (Robert Mac that is your guy) in the Agriculture appropriations committee that refused to fund MCOOL.
These guys are bending over so much that their contortionist stances are getting pretty comedic. Perhaps they should try out for SH's circus act. It might fit well with his circus chicken.