July 30, 2007

US beef entry to Japan remain low from pre-ban levels

Japan's imports of US beef are far below the levels before it was banned in 2003 due to mad cow disease, according to a Japanese agriculture official.

For the ten-month period from August 2006 through May 2007, Japan imported a total of 15,205 tonnes of US beef, Agriculture Ministry official Mayuko Nishibori said. The period was the most recent one for which statistics is available, she added.

US beef imports have been on the rise in recent months as 2,193 tonnes have been imported in May alone, according to Nishibori.

The US has been shipping 20,000 tonnes of beef per month to Japan before the meat was first banned in December 2003, according to the US Meat Export Foundation (USMEF).

USMEF president and CEO Philip Seng said Japan - which had been US beef industry's most lucrative market before the first ban - was now importing close to 4,000 tonnes per month.

Tokyo imposed the restriction after the first case of mad cow disease was found in the United States that month. The ban was eased in December 2005, but tightened again the following month after prohibited spinal bones were found in a veal shipment.

Tokyo eased the restrictions again on July 27, 2006, but allowed only meat from cows 20 months old or younger to enter Japan.

Washington has been pushing Tokyo to open its doors to meat from cows up to 30 months old, arguing that they are free of the disease but Japan remained stuck to its earlier regulations.