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An
early return for U.S. beef to the Japanese market appeared
to be ruled out by reports from Japan. Kyodo News reported
that Hosei Norota, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's
Research Commission on Comprehensive Agricultural Administration
had said that U.S. beef imports would not return until after
next summer. He explained that time was needed to resolve
domestic procedures. And Joel Haggard, the U.S. Meat Export
Federation director for the region in a letter to the United
Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, said that there
are many details to be resolved, but “both sides are moving
fast for it to happen”.
Haggard
said that U.S. processors are already routinely removing
specified-risk materials for all cattle an that the USDA
is moving swiftly to get the terms of the new Beef Export
Verification program incorporated into an operable set of
rules and regulations.
“The
U.S.-Japan Framework agreement calls for the input of experts
from the OIE and WHO,” Haggard said. “Up to now, Japan (and
other closed Asian markets) has conspicuously avoided considering
or referencing OIE guidelines on trade in products from
BSE affected countries. The fact that the Framework is more
scientifically based (except for the 20 month requirement,
which will ostensibly be addressed at the re-evaluation
point next summer), is very encouraging for the entire Asian
beef trade. Hopefully, other Asian countries, who like Japan
have generally dismissed OIE's guidance on avoiding BSE
risks, will start to consider the wisdom of using these
very carefully constructed guidelines which have the health
of livestock and consumers at their forefront.”
He
continued: “The Framework Agreement is a positive step toward
resolving the biggest beef S&P trade dispute to affect
global beef markets in years. For us in the region, the
wait has seemed like an eternity, but put into a larger
context, what other SPS mega-trade issues have been resolved
in 10 months?”
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