September 2, 2009

Japan's new leadership may be less agreeable to expanding imports of US beef than the previous administration, US meat industry said on Tuesday (Sept 1).

Japan was once the top export market for US beef but dropped sharply after December 2003, when the US reported its first case of mad cow disease.

In 2003, Japan accounted for about 30 percent of US beef exports, but less than eight percent in 2008.

Now Japan buys about a fifth of its pre-mad cow total, but the US meat industry has been working to recover more of that lost business.

Japan's new administration accepts US beef from cattle 20 months old or younger, but the US beef industry has been trying to bump that to 30 months, which would restore much of the business that was lost.

There was a concern that there were hard-line elements in the new ruling party that would be resistant to expanded beef access, said Joe Schuele, spokesman for the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

The USMEF is now working to develop overseas markets for US beef.

This follows after reports that Japan's new leadership may reduce grain imports in an effort to boost self-sufficiency rate, which will also severely affect the US as Japan is one of its key grain markets.