August 27, 2012

Japan is set to resume beef exports to the US from Friday (Aug 24), repaving the way for wagyu beef to reach US gourmets since the suspension of Japanese beef in April 2010 due to foot-and-mouth disease.

Washington has given the green light for Japanese cattle slaughtered on August 18 or later to enter the world's biggest market, after a review of Japan's food safety measures allayed its worries about the chance of radioactive contamination.

Earlier this week, a Japanese farm official had signalled the export schedule might be disrupted after Washington asked for details of Tokyo's food safety measures.

"The USDA made a review of our radiation safety measures and gave a nod to it, so the timing to slaughter for exports remains unchanged," the official said.

The US has set curbs, generally in line with Japan's domestic measures, on the import of other food products from Japan to protect against radioactive contamination since the Fukushima nuclear crisis sparked by last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Before Japan's outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, beef exports stood at 565 tonnes in 2009, 72 tonnes of which was bought by the US.

Although there is no trade data on the type of beef exported, an export value of JPY4,000-6,000 (US$$51-77) per kilogramme and a survey of exporters suggest most of the beef exported was wagyu, another ministry official said.

The US has given Japan's beef a clean bill of health on the foot-and-mouth concerns. Japan is also reviewing its curbs on US beef imports as global concern over mad cow disease ebbs.