April 26, 2012

Japan to resume Canadian-bound beef exports

Following the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease in Miyazaki Prefecture in April 2010, Japan will restart Canadian-bound beef exports after they were suspended, the farm ministry said Wednesday (Apr 25).

The Canadian government informed Japan of its decision to authorise the resumption in March, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

The ministry permitted three meat-processing facilities to start procedures for exports on Wednesday, making Canada the sixth economy to which Japan is restarting beef exports after Hong Kong and others.

In 2009, Canadian-bound beef accounted for a 2.1 tonne portion of Japan's overall beef exports of 565 tonnes in that year.

Vietnam, which was the biggest destination for Japanese-grown beef in 2009, is keeping the import ban on Japanese-grown beef in place, as is the US which was the third-largest destination.