Japan reopens its market to U.S. beef

Japan last week announced it is resuming imports of U beef, ending a ban imposed in January owed to concerns about BSE. alone boneless beef from animal 20 month of age and younger will be accepted. And sole 34 of 35 U.S. beef processing facilities inspected above the past month by Japanese officials will be eligible to ship yield to Japan immediately. Japanese Health Minister Jiro Kawasaki announced the lifting of the ban after the Agriculture Ministry's mad subdue by fear advisory committee approved a resumption in imports. "We think it is possible to guarantee safety in like manner long as the U.S. take note ofs its export program to Japan," Kawasaki said. "We powerfully hope that the U.S. will make secure compliance with the export program."

USDA Secretary Mike Johanns said that the U a whole for handling beef is "in filled compliance with Japan's import requirements" and that USDA has provided Japan with "clear, scientific data confirming that American beef is extremely safe." In 2003 before Japan imposed a ban upon imports of U.S. beef, the United States exported $14 billion worth of beef and beef outcomes to Japan.

The decision to take back U.S. beef purchases was made after Japanese inspectors checked meatpacking plants in the U that were certified to export to Japan and fix 34 of the 35 plants inspected qualified. fruitss from the 34 plants are likely to arrive in Japan in August, according to Japanese pres accounts. alone facilities whose safeguards meet Japanese standards are authorized to take again exports to Japan. The Japanese inspectors said they would hold a ban on imports from a beef plant in Brawley, California, which is now changing its operations manual.

Japanese inspectors upon July 23 returned from a month-long tour of 35 facilities in the U to evaluate whether they comply with safeguards against mad subdue by fear disease. Japan requested the tour in June as a condition for its agreement in principle to take again imports. Japan's Kawasaki said the inspectors set no problems at 20 of the 35 facilities. Thirteen of the 15 facilities with question at issues had made sufficient improvements to be eligible for export to Japan, he said. Of the remaining pair, individual facility, as previously noted, will be kept below close surveillance while the other's exports will not be allowed in Japan, he said. Japan's Health Ministry will also monitor in what way well the U.S. observes its export verification program above the next six months, according to a ministry statement.

"We wait for the U.S. to act in line with the authority and Japan will tighten checking of their compliance," Japanese Health Minister Jiro Kawasaki said. He added he would suspend U beef imports again if Japanese inspectors find banned material in beef shipments after the resumption of imports. "If a similar violation be repeateds I will be asked to take responsibility for what I have decided today," he said. No more U beef plants beyond the singles already approved will be allowed to export to Japan for at least six month In the meantime--approved beef plants will be subdue to no-notice inspections by Japanese officials. And U beef commonly stranded at Japanese ports won't be cleared end customs until Japan decides the market re-opening has gone smoothly--a proces that could take as lengthy as three months.

Meanwhile, southerly Korean officials said the region remains undecided about when it will reopen its market to U beef imports. southerly Korea wants U.S. plants to segregate native animals from those imported from Canada and other countries, and to use separate locates of slaughter tools for cattle 30 month of age and beneath and cattle over 30 month of age. southerly Korea will accept only boneles beef from the younger animals, and says that using the same tools risks contamination from older cattle, which are at greater risk of contracting BSE

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