Japan / U.S. beef imports halted.

This article, (among many other places) from a few days ago.

I'm trying to get a crash course on the history of BSE/mad cow in the U.S. Looking at the CDC website, there have only been two cases of infected cattle (the last was in 2003), so the idea of banning beef imports for 'safety' reasons seems a bit exagerated to me.

The trade agreements were not met, which is a shame when you consider that the ban was only recently lifted due to heavy lobying. Is this Japan being overly cautious, is this Japan being protectionist?

What responsibility does a nation have in trade when they export heavy ammounts of goods but refuse to import? Heavy tarriffs on imported goods have historically made Japan's economy prohibitive to trade.

It seems like it's business as usual with beef imports. Best to keep raising cattle on local land with inflated values and then sell it at a loss.

Anyone have any insight into this?

All beef intensely sales down when BSE outbrake in Japan.
The people showed rejection to all all beef.
Many butcher shops went bankrupt.

Now, Japanese 60% - 70% people dont want to eat American beef.
Because it is not inspected beef, Japanese people think so American beef is dangerous food.

So Japan government is afraid about beef panic again.


---
Nekomajin
sorry, im poor English.

yukio_michael said:

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The trade agreements were not met, which is a shame when you consider that the ban was only recently lifted due to heavy lobying. Is this Japan being overly cautious, is this Japan being protectionist?
...

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Newsweek didn't cover BSE article in the US edition, though the international edition did.
If Japan is really the protectionist now as you said, Australian could not see any business opportunity for beef, and even lamb now.

it can only be attributable to human error. HAL2006

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pipokun said:

Newsweek didn't cover BSE article in the US edition, though the international edition did.
If Japan is really the protectionist now as you said, Australian could not see any business opportunity for beef, and even lamb now.

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In doing some research, I've found that a lot of countries are protectionist when it comes to imports on specific food items.

I see this sort of situation as similar to the one that occured during the nineties where there was an influx of trade to Japan, or relations with Japan only after great pressure from the United States in response to the overwhelming number of exports comming out of Japan.

I'm not a fan of say "gunboat democracy", but when Japan says in the past that say, "only Japanese skis are suited to the special Japanese snow...", and you read in the paper how honestly concerned people are over an import product that will cast doubt (needlessly) on future imports--- in subtle ways, it's easy to enforce protectionism, endlessly.

Interesting to know your further research.

What do you think if I say "St. Katrina deeply affected Japan"?
This is not the spooky idea that yakuza caused it with their super high-tech weapon, but Japan cannot survive herself without the US agri-products.

The japanese happily eats Australian beef, which shows that there are not a case of any particular protectionism regarding beef. When is comes to rice it is another matter. In order to "protect" the japanese rice farmers there are heavy import taxes on rice. The reason why japanese do not like to eat US beef is the same as for europeans: we do not believe it is safe. Read the book "Fast Food Nation" and you will newer eat another american hamburger!

Yesterdays article from LA Times confirms what I wrote last week. The Japanese now finds Australian beef attractive, and have now lost faith in the ability of the US beef industry to provide safe beef. So even if the US authorities manages to talk the Japanese Government into accepting US beef once again, it will take a very long time before the Japanese consumers again will fully trust US beef.

Link:
http://www.latimes.com/business/nat...ry?coll=sns-ap-topbusiness&ctrack=1&cset=true

Han Chan said:

Yesterdays article from LA Times confirms what I wrote last week. The Japanese now finds Australian beef attractive, and have now lost faith in the ability of the US beef industry to provide safe beef. So even if the US authorities manages to talk the Japanese Government into accepting US beef once again, it will take a very long time before the Japanese consumers again will fully trust US beef.
Link:
http://www.latimes.com/business/nat...ry?coll=sns-ap-topbusiness&ctrack=1&cset=true

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When I was a student in my first degree the students in my class have discussed the potential opportunity for Australian beef to be sold to Japan because of the mad cow disease scandal.

NHK news

Deal Reached on US Beef Imports​

Japan has agreed to lift its import ban on US beef after US officials accepted that Japan can conduct safety inspections at US meat processing plants before any shipments are made.

Months of talks concluded at noon on Wednesday after Japanese and US officials haggled from Tuesday night into early Wednesday over a video link.

In further talks on Wednesday, the US side finally agreed to Japan's demand for the safety inspections.

Japan is to send officials to 35 US meat-processing plants to conduct inspections for about a month.

Officials suggested that the two sides have agreed on how to handle any future violations of Japan's strict beef import rules.

In January, Japan re-imposed a ban on US beef imports after finding banned spinal material considered at risk of carrying BSE, or mad cow disease, in a batch of US beef. US beef should now be back in Japan by late July.

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窶督ｼ窶督ｳ窶堋ｵ said:

NHK news

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Interesting, Thanks for the update!

Han Chan said:

Yesterdays article from LA Times confirms what I wrote last week. The Japanese now finds Australian beef attractive, and have now lost faith in the ability of the US beef industry to provide safe beef. So even if the US authorities manages to talk the Japanese Government into accepting US beef once again, it will take a very long time before the Japanese consumers again will fully trust US beef.

Link:
http://www.latimes.com/business/nat...ry?coll=sns-ap-topbusiness&ctrack=1&cset=true

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That may be true, yet I know quite a few restaurant owners that have refused to use Aussie beef because they do not like the texture or flavor of the Aussie beef. They also do not use Japanese wagyu either because the high fat content, overly rich flavor, and price. They have not had beef on their menu's since the ban.

They are eagerly awaiting the return of the US beef.

NHK news

Japan Announces Restart of US Beef Imports​

Japan has officially announced its decision to lift a ban on US beef imports. Japan will import US beef only from cattle aged 20 months old or younger, from which parts at high risk of BSE, or mad cow disease, have been removed.

Health minister Jiro Kawasaki said in a news conference on Thursday that Japan will resume beef imports from 34 US meat processing plants.

The move follows a month-long inspection of the plants by Japanese government officials, who declared the processing methods there safe.

Mr Kawasaki said the decision was made based on the inspections and the results of repeated talks with the US side, and that his ministry would now like to assure consumers of the safety of US beef.

He said the government will also strengthen the monitoring of US beef with blanket inspections of all packages containing the product, to ease public concern.

He said the government will ask the food industry to help establish a system that will inform consumers when US beef is being used in processed products.

Mr Kawasaki said the government cannot say what action to take should any problems emerge with US beef after the imports resumption.

But he said if banned parts are discovered, Japan may suspend all US beef imports again and he will take responsibility for the consequences.

Responding to a question, the health minister said that he will eat US beef himself.

In December 2003, Japan imposed a ban on US beef imports after the first case of BSE surfaced in the Untied States.

It lifted the ban two years later, but imposed a second ban in January this year following the discovery of a banned part in a US shipment.

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Ever since Koizumi fooled around with Bush in Garceland it was clear the Japan would resume the import of US beef. However, the credibility of the US beef exporters have been damaged beyond repair. It is clear that the japanese public will newer again consume US beef in similar quantities as in the past.

Quote:

U.S. beef imports to resume, despite safety concerns
07/27/2006

The Asahi Shimbun


The government Thursday formally approved the resumption of U.S. beef imports, officials said, but many supermarkets and restaurants plan to avoid the meat because of lingering fears about mad cow disease.

U.S. beef will start arriving in Japan as early as August, but only at about 10 percent the level before the ban.

Japan banned U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, was confirmed in Washington state.

The Japanese government lifted the two-year ban in December 2005. But imports were again suspended a month later after frozen spinal columns, cattle parts considered at high risk of transmitting BSE, were found in U.S. imports during a quarantine check at Narita International Airport.

Japan had imported about 20,000 tons of U.S. beef a month before the first ban.

Industry experts say the volume of the imported beef will hover around 10 percent of the pre-ban level for a while because of a number of reasons.

The imported U.S. beef must be from cattle 20 months old or younger because young livestock are believed less susceptible to BSE contamination.

Another reason for the decrease in volume is that importers of Australian beef established footholds in Japan when U.S. beef was shut out from the Japanese market.

When the ban was lifted in December last year, the first shipment of U.S. beef was delivered to Japan by air.

"Reflecting the unwillingness of consumers to buy U.S. beef, the imports will mainly be delivered by sea, which is much cheaper," an official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

The shipments will take two weeks or so to get to Japan.

In addition, import procedures will take longer because of reinforced quarantine procedures at Japanese ports and elsewhere.

Restaurant chain Yoshinoya D&C Co. said it plans to resume serving beef bowls possibly in late September after securing a certain amount of U.S. beef.

But Ito-Yokado, Aeon and other major supermarket chains said they will not sell imported U.S. beef for the time being because consumers still have concerns about the safety of the meat.

Tokyo dispatched experts to the United States to check 35 beef-processing facilities for about a month since late June.

Thirty-four of the plants were approved to resume exporting beef to Japan because they showed no signs of serious troubles. The installation of the safety check system at the final facility has been delayed.

Imports from U.S. meat-processing centers other than the 35 facilities inspected by the Japanese experts will not be allowed for about six more months, government officials said.(IHT/Asahi: July 27,2006)

Half of this problem was figured out that mothers, housewives and kids were influence too much by the medias.

I think the Japanese can be very fickle, so I think, that if someone in authority says, this beef is alright, I think it's okay to eat--- gradually that will ease their concerns. The general public of Japan tend to follow leadership from the very top--- so if the princess ate US beef, it would be all over.

yukio_michael said:

I think the Japanese can be very fickle, so I think, that if someone in authority says, this beef is alright, I think it's okay to eat--- gradually that will ease their concerns. The general public of Japan tend to follow leadership from the very top--- so if the princess ate US beef, it would be all over.

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Well after one month hardly anyone eats the beef yet.

From todays Mainichi:

"U.S. beef hardly regaining ground in Japan amid consumer worries
Japan's imports of U.S. beef have totaled only 82 tons since it reopened the market about a month ago, reflecting Japanese consumers' strong worries about mad cow disease contamination.

The figure is the total amount of U.S. beef that has been inspected at the Japanese government's animal quarantine office by Thursday. The amount of U.S. beef that has cleared the customs and gone on sale is believed to be smaller.

When Japan partially lifted its original import ban in December last year, 663 tons of U.S. beef cleared the Japanese customs before Tokyo reinstated its all-out import ban about a month later.

After the government scrapped its import ban on July 27, the first shipment of U.S. beef, imported by Costco Wholesale Japan Inc., arrived in Japan on Aug. 7.

The Japanese unit of U.S. discount warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale Corp. began sales of the beef at three outlets in the Tokyo metropolitan area on Aug. 9, but few other retailers and restaurants followed suit.

Japanese companies are hesitant about U.S. beef imports because consumers are still worried about the safety of U.S. beef.

However, the situation may change in a few months. While the first batches of U.S. beef were shipped mostly in low-volume air cargoes, sea cargoes have begun to arrive recently, said an official of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.

Major restaurant operator Yoshinoya D&C Co. plans to start serving "gyudon" beef bowl with U.S. beef as early as late September.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Meat Export Federation expects that beef exports to Japan will reach about 20,000 tons by the end of the year, according to a spokesman.

But even if beef exports hit that level, the monthly average shipments to the country are still only about 20 percent of the peak year 2003.

Japan first banned beef imports from the United States in December 2003 following the discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, formally called bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Before the import ban, Japan was the most lucrative overseas market for the U.S. beef industry. (Jiji Press)"

yukio_michael said:

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Unfortunately, the life here is not that simple, at least, Japan has not been a lawyer friendly nation yet. It'd be nice if the US govenment would endorse any lawsuits from Japan for millions of dollars.

I will eat the beef, and hope that the ongoing shipment won't bring silly spinal cords like the first one in the last time.

I really want to eat Beef Bowl with U.S. beef on it. Today newspaper said that many restaurants were short of U.S. beef.

yamada said:

I really want to eat Beef Bowl with U.S. beef on it. Today newspaper said that many restaurants were short of U.S. beef.

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Line to gobble beef bowls signals American beef's return to Asia

By YURI KAGEYAMA
AP BUSINESS WRITER


TOKYO -- U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer was among the eager diners thronging a major Japanese fast-food chain Monday to savor the first servings in more than two years of a popular rice dish topped with American beef.

"It was great. It was well worth the wait," Schieffer said after eating Yoshinoya D&C Co.'s "beef bowl" with chopsticks. "It's a day of celebration. Beef has returned to Japan."

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Monday, September 18, 2006 Source, here.

Another news source, here

Yamada said:

I really want to eat Beef Bowl with U.S. beef on it. Today newspaper said that many restaurants were short of U.S. beef.

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What's wrong with importing and using Australian beef for use in Beef bowls? Is US beef that much better or is it cheaper?

odyapaul said:

That may be true, yet I know quite a few restaurant owners that have refused to use Aussie beef because they do not like the texture or flavor of the Aussie beef. They also do not use Japanese wagyu either because the high fat content, overly rich flavor, and price. They have not had beef on their menu's since the ban.

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Maybe I should've read the entire post first before posting!

US=>grain-fed
Aussie=>grass-fed
As Au farmers are finding more business here now, most beef for Japanese market is grain-fed, even though it costs more than grass-fed ones.
From my experience, you need to skim surface more to cook beef bowl when you use grass-fed beef.
It does not matter when you cook curry or stew, but beef bowl soup is a bit lighter taste than the simmered dishes.

A bit different story, Ausie vs. US beef, but I watched an interesting program.
If US farmers feed beef on more corn, they'd get more money. But it would lead to water crisis in the states, for corn needs more water than other grains.

Just wanted to add that for some reason, my stomach had difficulties to accept US beef...dunno if it's because of the hormons and steroids...

I think this is a good move by the japanese government. The economy as it is is dependent enough on the US economy - trading more with other countries can not hurt ..

salarymanjapan said:

I think this is a good move by the japanese government. The economy as it is is dependent enough on the US economy - trading more with other countries can not hurt ..

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You realize of course that this thread is 6 months old and since then imports have resumed? Only on cattle that is less than 20 months old.

Nekomajin said:

All beef intensely sales down when BSE outbrake in Japan.
The people showed rejection to all all beef.
Many butcher shops went bankrupt.
Now, Japanese 60% - 70% people dont want to eat American beef.
Because it is not inspected beef, Japanese people think so American beef is dangerous food.
So Japan government is afraid about beef panic again.
---
Nekomajin
sorry, im poor English.

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so, they found mad cow disease in UNINSPECTED beef... that makes sense, lol