November 19, 2007

US presses Japan to fully resume beef trading

US President George W. Bush on Friday (November 16) pressed Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to fully reopen US beef imports to Japan, which had been curbed over fears of mad cow disease.

Bush, speaking alongside Fukuda after talks between the two leaders, told reporters that the US is hoping to have the "Japanese market fully open to all US beef and beef products, consistent with international guidelines".

"Prime minister, I hope we can serve you some good US beef," Bush said, welcoming Fukuda on his first visit to Washington since he took over as head of the Japanese government in September.

Japan banned US beef in December 2003 after the brain-wasting cattle disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), was found in a US herd.

Prior to the ban, Japan was the US cattle industry's biggest export market, buying US$1.7 billion of beef in 2002.

The ban almost grew into a full-blown trade war, with US farm-state senators pressing for sanctions unless Tokyo opened up its markets by the end of 2005.

Japan later eased the ban, restricting imports to beef from US cattle no more than 20 months old.

The White House said Bush would be serving Texas beef to Fukuda for lunch.