05/24/06 Lack of Japanese Beef Confidence

Lack of Japanese Beef Confidence. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Japanese officials last week refused to set a timetable to re-open the Japanese market to U.S. beef - and that's causing the U.S. beef industry to lose confidence in the Japanese market. Jay Truitt - Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen`s Beef Association - says the U.S. has done all it can to reassure Japan U.S. beef is safe since the discovery of a single shipment that contained prohibited material prompted Japan to reinstate its U.S. beef ban in January. Now - Japan wants to do its own inspections of U.S. plants. Truitt says he hopes next month's visit of the Japanese Prime Minister will hasten a resumption of trade - but notes he now sees Japan as a less reliable market for U.S. beef. TRUITT: I'd say our focus in the future is going to be more towards Korea and existing markets like Mexico and Canada frankly which is the fourth largest export market for the United States and other countries around the Pacific Rim. Japan will probably and unfortunately slide back from being on the front burner for the U.S. beef industry. Truitt says even after Japan reopens its borders - he doesn't expect it to resume the same level of U.S. beef imports that the country purchased prior to the first confirmed U.S. case of BSE in 2003. TRUITT: No, not anytime soon. I can't imagine the set of circumstances that would speed the Japanese process up to the point that we could actually achieve the same level of exports anytime in the next year that we had prior to 2003. Japan has accepted safeguards at 35 U.S. plants - but Acting Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Chuck Lambert told reporters in Tokyo a final agreement on conditions for resumption of trade had not been reached. And as for a planned meeting this week between Ag Committee Senators and Japan's U.S. Ambassador - Truitt says NCBA's hopeful a decision will be made to focus on science. TRUITT: It's our hope that members of the Senate will be able to have a frank discussion about how to keep this in the realm of science and economics when it comes to trade and that we can resolve the issues and make sure that everyone understands there is enough political pressure here to kind of keep the lid on the whole thing and keep progress moving forward. But the Japanese claim their focus is on food safety - and not political considerations. Truitt isn't convinced - and says his industry now looks at Japan as a less reliable market than in the past. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.