USDA chief wants beef trade to Japan fully restored

USDA chief wants beef trade to Japan fully restored    While U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns applauds Japan’s new agreement to accept certain imports of U.S. beef, he believes the federal government and American meat companies have exceeded making the necessary changes to meet Japan’s compliance demands.
   “Although this agreement is another step toward the resumption of beef trade with Japan, I will not be satisfied until U.S. beef is once again accepted into the Japanese market,” Johanns said in a statement.
   Japan announced it will lift its ban on U.S. beef on Tuesday.
   Japanese audit teams will arrive in the United States this weekend and finish their work by July 21. After completion of the audits, Japan will resume beef trade with the United States.
   “I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of Japan recognizing the U.S. food safety inspection system as a single, effective system and acting accordingly in resuming trade,” Johanns said.
   “When that occurs, my expectation is that minor non-compliance issues will not disrupt our entire trading relationship,” he added. “Instead, Japan has agreed to notify us of such issues and discuss the appropriate course, such as the rejection of individual shipments, if appropriate.”
   The U.S. meat industry says it’s prepared to meet the Japanese expectations of quality.
   “We understand that Japanese officials wish to thoroughly review U.S. beef safety systems and protocols, and we are confident that they will find our practices meet or exceed their high standards,” said Philip M. Seng, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
   The USMEF is working on various marketing campaigns to restore Japanese consumer confidence in U.S. beef. The organization has identified another 17 U.S. beef cuts that could be sold profitably in Japan.
   “USMEF conducted seminars explaining these opportunities in the United States and Japan with future seminars planned in Japan,” Seng said.