March 16, 2004

Japan Not Prepared To Lift US Beef Ban

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will lift the import ban on US beef despite the United States implementing additional safety measures.

A ministry official at the office handling international hygiene affairs said the measure "will not be sufficient to resume imports."

The ministry has been urging the U.S. government to test all cattle, just as Japan does, as a condition for lifting the import ban imposed after the discovery of one case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the U.S. in December.

The latest U.S. measure is intended to cover cows over 30 months old that are suspected of having physical problems, such as difficulty in walking.

"Such tests will do little more than examine cows for illness, and will not be able to detect if the beef that comes from them is safe or not," the ministry official said.