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United States Senate has passed an amendment to continue
to block imports of beef products from Japan.
The
amendment, made by Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat from Nebraska,
to the agriculture appropriations bill, prevents funds being
made available to assist imports of beef from Japan until
the Japanese lift their embargo on U.S. beef.
The
move has brought warm applause from U.S. cattlemen in the
ginger group Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United
Stockgrowers of America, or R-CALF USA.
“On
the stage of global beef trade, so much is at stake here
for our independent U.S. cattle producers, and our members
want to express deep gratitude to the senators who recognize
that point and chose this morning to send a crystal clear
message to Secretary Johanns and the administration that
trade policies must be reformed to benefit domestic producers
before we just give the whole store away with nothing in
return,” said R-CALF president and co-founder Leo McDonnell.
“We look forward to working with Congress on this matter
and other issues that continue to affect independent U.S.
cattle producers.”
While
the Senate was busy trying to block Japanese beef imports,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed to permit imports
of Japanese boneless beef, a move the American Meat Institute
described as “intellectually inconsistent.”
The
organization, which represents mainline U.S. packers and
processors, said that while it was “admirable to use science-based
protocols to reopen the market, to allow Japanese beef in
when certain imports of beef products from Canada were banned
was illogical.”
Prohibiting
the import of older Canadian cattle, while permitting the
import of Japanese beef derived from the same age animals
damages the integrity of American inspection system, according
to AMI president J. Patrick Boyle.
“Such
a policy calls into question USDA's ability to enforce its
regulations because it incorrectly suggests that (specified
risk material) removal can be effectively accomplished in
a foreign country to render beef safe, but that U.S. slaughterers
may not be capable of effectively performing the same procedures,”
he said. “Although AMI supports the proposal to allow the
importation of Japanese beef, consistent treatment should
also be afforded Canada and other minimal risk regions.
AMI urges the agency to act expeditiously to reestablish
fully trade for all cattle, beef, and beef products produced
in Canada.”
Sen.
Nelson said he is frustrated by Japan's continuing delays
in reopening the Japanese market while USDA at the same
time allows some Japanese beef into the U.S. “It makes no
sense to me ... to expand our domestic market for Japanese
beef while their market for American beef remains closed,”
he said on Monday. Japan had been the largest overseas market
for U.S. beef until it closed its market in late 2003 following
America's first case of mad cow disease. Though that cow
proved to have been born in Canada, a U.S.-born BSE-infected
animal was found earlier this year in Texas. The United
States closed its border to Japanese beef in 2001 after
mad cow disease was found there.
“U.S.
beef is the safest, highest quality beef in the world,”
Sen. Nelson said. “Japan has had numerous incidents of mad
cow disease in their own herds. We've had two.”
Mr
Boyle pointed out that U.S. cattle slaughterers and beef
processors have suffered substantial economic damage over
the past 20 months that Japan‘s market has been closed to
U.S. beef. “Fully restoring cattle and beef trade in North
America is a critical step to preventing further equity
losses in the industry, enhancing our competitiveness in
an increasingly global market, and protecting jobs in the
U.S.,” he commented.
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