August 25, 2006

Japan's US beef imports total only 42 tonnes in one month

Only 42 tonnes of US beef have been shipped into Japan after the country it lifted its ban a month ago, a senior government official in Japan said Thursday (Aug 24).

Yoshio Nomura, vice minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said at a press conference the shipments were imported in 18 batches. Most shipments have so far been shipped in by air with more shipments expected to arrive by sea.

The figure was far lower than the 663 tonnes Japan imported from Dec 12, 2005 to Jan 20, 2006 during a brief lifting of the ban. The country has banned US beef since December 2003.

While at least two restaurant chains have said they would offer US beef once supplies arrive in enough quantities for lower prices, retailers such as supermarket chains have been generally reluctant to offer US beef, citing safety concerns among consumers.

The USDA predicted that US beef exports to Japan in fiscal 2007, which begins in October 2006, may total US$200 million.

Still, that is only a quarter of the over US$800 million worth in 2002, before Japan imposed the ban.