Japan sets beef tariff rate for 2009-10

Japan has set the beef tariff rate at 38.5 percent, unchanged from the previous year, provided the 'safeguard' mechanism is not triggered by a sudden increase in beef imports.

The safeguard system allows the Japanese government to increase the tariff to the bound rate of 50 percent, when the cumulative quarterly increase in imports exceeds the import levels for the same period in the previous year by 17 percent or more.

The calculation method for the safeguard has been altered for fiscal year 2009. The amendment recognises the circumstance generated by the ban on US beef imports in December 2003, and the gradual market recovery.

The safeguard for 2009 will be based on an average of actual imports in 2002 and 2003. In the event that the trigger level based on the 2002 and 2003 import average is below the trigger level calculated on the basis of imports in 2008, the 2008 figure will be used instead.

This alteration will allow slightly larger import volumes without triggering the increase of the tariff.