As pressure from the US mounts, Japan has agreed to lift its ban on beef imports pending the completion of Japanese inspections of American meat processing plants.
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The ban, re-imposed in January a matter of weeks after a previous ban had been lifted due to the presence of prohibited material in a shipment of US beef, provoked a long running trade dispute between the two countries.
It will be lifted provided inspections do not uncover any additional issues that could affect the perceived quality and safety of US beef, the Japanese Government said.
It has become a highly political issue in Japan, with pressure on one side to protect Japanese consumers from the perceived threat of BSE in US beef and on the other from the close relations with the US that Japan has courted.
US Agricultural Secretary Mike Johanns issued a lukewarm response to the news. “Although this agreement is another step toward the resumption of beef trade with Japan, I will not be satisfied until US beef is once again accepted into the Japanese market,” he said.
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By GlobalData“Ultimately, it is our goal to complete the Japanese audits with all plants that have met US requirements to export beef to Japan being approved to do so at the same time. I cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of Japan recognising the US food safety inspection system as a single, effective system and acting accordingly in resuming trade.
“When that occurs, my expectation is that minor noncompliance issues will not disrupt our entire trading relationship. Instead, Japan has agreed to notify us of such issues and discuss the appropriate course, such as the rejection of individual shipments, if appropriate,” Johanns concluded.
From Johanns’ comments, it is evident that the US feels it has bent over backwards to accommodate Japan. “Japan has been conducting an exhaustive examination to confirm the safety of US beef and these audits must constitute the final step. We have instituted numerous changes in our system, answered every question posed by Japan, and delivered an abundance of factual, science-based assurances that US beef is safe. It is time for beef trade to resume with Japan,” the Agriculture Secretary said.
