October 27, 2004
Canadian Beef Imports May Soon Be Allowed into Japan
Japan's 17-month ban on Canadian beef may be lifted, as beef imports will soon be allowed into the Asian country. Canadian beef will be subjected to the same conditions as US beef.
'We received a very firm commitment from the Japanese government that it treated us, Canada and the United States, as an integrated North American beef marketplace,'' said Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell.
Japan will allow US beef imports from cattle less than 20 months old within 'a matter of weeks,'' US Department of Agriculture Undersecretary J.B. Penn said in Tokyo three days ago.
The ban on US and Canadian beef was prompted by the discovery of cases of mad cow disease. Canada exported C$81 million ($66 million) of beef to Japan in 2002 and C$41.5 million in 2003 after the ban was implemented, according to Statistics Canada.