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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Japanese government agreed to continue U.S. beef import despite new BSE cases in U.S., JCP Diet member reveals

At the House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on February 15, Japanese Communist Party representative Takahashi Chizuko revealed that at the time of the reopening of the Japanese market to U.S. beef in December 2005, the Japanese government agreed that Japan will no longer impose an import ban on U.S. beef, even if BSE cases are newly found in the U.S.

Takahashi pointed this out by citing a U.S. Department of Agriculture letter regarding a Japan-U.S. agreement on ﾒAnimal health requirements for beef and beef offal to be exported to Japan from the United States.ﾓ The USDA wrote this letter to express their acceptance of the revised animal health requirements which stipulate the removal of Specific Risk Materials and that only beef from cattle 20 months old or younger is allowed into Japan.

At the same time, the USDA requested the Japanese agricultural ministry to reconfirm the agreement reached in October 2004 between Japan and the U.S. that ﾒidentification of a few additional BSE cases will not result in market closure and disruption of beef trade patterns without scientific foundations.ﾓ

Expressing doubts that the U.S. and Japan are on an equal footing, Takahashi protested that Japan has been forced to accept less strict standards on U.S. beef.

Japanese meatpacking facilities from which Japanese beef is exported to the U.S. are subject to annual U.S. on-site inspections according to the U.S. domestic standards. However, the Japanese government lifted the ban without carrying out effective inspections required to enforce the conditions for U.S. beef imports.

Prime Minister Koizumi said that given the situation in which Japan and the U.S. have different sets of safety standards, the U.S. government ﾒshould follow the Japanese safety standards.ﾓ

Pointing out that the two countries are not on an equal footing, Takahashi urged the Koizumi government to demand that U.S. safety measures be in compliance with the Japanese standards.
- Akahata, February 16, 2006