December 6, 2004
Australian Beef Exports to Japan Up 38% from Jan - Nov
Australia's beef exports to Japan in the first 11 months of this year rose 38 percent over a year earlier to 360,078 tons. This figure already tops the annual record set in 2000, according to an association of Australian beef producers.
For the entire year, exports are expected to reach 390,000 tons, compared with the 2000 high of 325,699 tons, Meat & Livestock Australia said.
The steep increase in shipments of beef from Australia to Japan reflects an import ban on American beef that Tokyo has maintained since mad cow disease was found in the state of Washington last December.