Weak recovery of US beef in Japan after six months
US - The twenty-seventh of January marked six months since the import ban on US beef was lifted in Japan, and various news sources reported the anniversary with remarks on the slow recovery of US beef in the Japanese market.Meanwhile, the US has been increasing pressure on Japan to start negotiations in May on lifting the current age limit of under 21 months to under 31 months, after the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) raises the official BSE safety status of US beef.
Despite some reports by the US media, no formal communication has been made by MAFF (the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) so far regarding the timetable for review of the box inspection procedure (which currently entails inspection of every single box). This procedure is slow and costly for importers, and appears to be one of the main factors limiting import volumes from the US at present.
TheCattleSite News Desk