May 23, 2008

Japan imports 4.9 percent more meat in April

Japan's total meat imports reached 194,404 tonnes in April, up 4.9 percent from the same period on-year.

Imports from the US increased significantly by 44.6 percent to 47,033 tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Finance.

Japan has resumed importing beef from the US under strict conditions, including that the meat only come from cattle aged 20 months or younger.

In 2003, Tokyo banned all imports of US beef due to an outbreak of mad cow disease.

The discovery of banned risk materials in a US beef shipment last April adversely affected Washington's efforts to have Japan lift all trade restrictions.

Tokyo suspended beef imports from the meatpacker that supplied the beef and stepped up checks on more shipments.

Inspections have been increased to about 10 percent of incoming shipments of US beef from the previous 1 percent.

Before the ban was put in place, the US was one of the major foreign suppliers of beef to Japan.