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Japanese officials on Thursday announced the resumption of U.S. beef imports as long as stiff requirements to re-enter the market are sustained. The announcement is the latest in the quest to normalize global beef trade since a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was discovered in the U.S. in December 2003. Japan's Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Jiro Kawasaki, according to reports, said that any error -- like the illicit spinal tissue discovered in a shipment that led to the closure of the newly re-opened border on Jan. 20 -- will again shut off trade.
"If the 100-percent same violation occurs in the future, I would order a total ban again," he told Kyodo News Thursday. Kawasaki added that, despite some Japanese consumer groups' opposition to the trade resumption, the process happened "step-by-step," following the necessary procedures in negotiations with U.S. counterparts to ensure a safe beef trade. One of those counterparts, U.S. ambassador to Japan J. Thomas Schieffer, said no shortage of proof of the safety of U.S. beef has been provided in resuming trade. "Since January, each step of our export verification system has been carefully re-examined, and has been reinforced to be even more robust than before," Schieffer said Thursday. "We are pleased that Japanese auditors and officials have found our process to be sound, and we are proud that our system is scientifically based and exceeds international standards." U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, while expressing almost relief that the process of resuming beef trade had finally yielded results, reflected on how such a situation might be better handled, rather than the complete shutting down of trade. "Nations need reasonable methods of addressing the inadvertent shipment of products that don't meet an importing country's specifications, without disrupting an entire trading relationship," he said Thursday. "The U.S. has such methods of addressing noncompliant shipments from Japan, as well as our other trading partners, and I am hopeful that going forward Japan will take a similar approach." Still, a large contingent of Japanese consumers remain wary of U.S. beef, a fact Kawasaki acknowledged. Still, according to reports, he said the trade will resume and eventually consumer confidence will return to pre-BSE levels. "We'd like consumers to feel secure. We will also strengthen our monitoring by opening all incoming beef packets for the time being," Kawasaki said. "The Japanese government resumed imports after thorough safety confirmation. Those who want to eat will do so, while I guess some people are still worried about U.S. beef safety." |
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