March 29 2004

Japan Considers Partial Lifting Of Ban On US Beef
 
Japan's Ministry of Agriculture has begun exploring the possibility of partially lifting a ban on U.S. beef imports.
 
The move comes in response to indications that the U.S. Department of Agriculture may agree to certify the results of voluntary tests conducted by American private-sector livestock companies on all slaughtered cattle.
 
Speaking to the press Friday, Farm Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei said the apparent change in the U.S. stance "indicates that the country has begun to pay due heed to the position of the Japanese government." He also said that "certification (of test results) by the U.S. government is a necessary condition" for resuming U.S. beef imports.
 
The farm ministry intends to begin the administrative steps needed before the ban can be partially lifted upon receipt of a formal U.S. proposal authorizing private-sector companies to voluntarily test cattle.
 
The ministry will conduct on-the-spot inspections of American meat processing firms whose tests are to be authorized by the U.S. government and solicit the opinion of the Food Safety Commission on whether removing the import ban would be appropriate, the newspaper reported.
 
The moves are intended to determine whether American cattle testing will be conducted as strictly as in Japan and are likely to take one to two months, a ministry official said.
 
The import ban was imposed after the discovery in December of one case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, in the U.S.
 
It will take several months before Japan can actually start to import U.S. beef because a final decision on the matter can be made only after those administrative checks are taken.