US beef imports in Japan

US beef imports in Japan were a contentious issue after BSE was detected among two cattle in the US.

Import ban

In late 2003, Japan suspended all imports of American beef due to a single BSE case in Washington. [ cite news
url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/12/30/1018053.htm
title= Australia lures Japanese beef buyers
publisher= ABC News Australia
date= December 30, 2003 ] Japan had been the largest export market for US beef, valued at $1.2 billion in 2003. cite web
last= ElAmin
first=Ahmed
url=http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=69455-bse-beef-japan
title=Japan re-opens doors to US beef
publisher=food production daily ] In December 2005, Japan agreed to remove the restriction on importing US beef. However, in January imports stopped again because inspectors found banned cattle parts in a veal shipment from the U.S.

Japan halted all imports of US beef in January 2006 --just six weeks after the Japanese government began to allow boneless beef from animals younger than 21 months into Japan after a two-year ban-- because of bone material found in a shipment of veal from New York State. US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns conceded that the shipment had violate the Japanese regulations. Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore had quickly followed Japan's lead in relaxing the import restrictions. In 2003, Japan accounted for $1.4 billion of the $3.9 billion in global sales of American beef and meat products; there had been two cases of BSE in the United States and 21 cases in Japan at the time. [ cite news
url= http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-01-20-japan-mad-cow_x.htm
title= Renewed Japan beef ban prompts U.S. probe
publisher= USA Today
date= 1/20/2006 ] On 27 July 2006, Japan lifted the ban on imports of beef from cattle 20 months of age and younger. In order to protect Japanese consumers from mad cow disease, only meat from cattle that is less than 21 months old is accepted; and spinal cords, vertebrae, brains and bone marrow must be removed. cite news
url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4631580.stm
title= New US beef import ban in Japan
publisher= BBC News
date= 20 January 2006 ]

ee also

*Japan–United States relations
*US beef imports in South Korea
*Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease)
*Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

References