Nelson Sets June 1 Deadline For Japanese To Life Beef Embargo
Nebraska State Paper
May 02, 2006
The United States should take action against Japan if that country doesn’t open up to imports of American beef by June 1, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson said Tuesday.
Japan has banned American beef because, it says, the U.S. hasn’t been careful enough in meeting Japanese standards for guarding against Mad Cow disease.
Nelson told reporters he would urge Senate colleagues to retaliate if the Japanese didn’t respond. Last year, Nelson proposed barring the import of Japan’s Kobe beef.
The Nebraska Democrat has often argued that Japan’s government has consistently dragged its feet on resolving the issues about American beef, and that the situation has caused U.S. producers billions of dollars.
The most recent Japanese embargo began in January. It resulted from a shipment of beef that contained spinal bones – something the Department of Agriculture agreed would not happen.
The initial embargo, which began some two years earlier, was also related on fears of Mad Cow after a single infected bovine was found in the United States. It had entered the country through Canada.
Nelson commented during a weekly teleconference call from his Washington office.
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