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Thursday, July 27, 2006

R-CALF USA pleased with Japan's resuming U.S. beef imports

(Billings, Mont.) – R-CALF USA is pleased with the news that Japan has agreed to partially lift its ban on U.S. beef exports. R-CALF USA trusts that the extreme delay the U.S. continues to experience in fully restoring access to the Japanese and other important export markets will signal to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the critical need to improve U.S. import controls.

“Given that the U.S. lost access to over 50 export markets as a result of importing a cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from Canada, and as precarious as our export markets are today, now is not the time for USDA to be relaxing risk mitigation measures for BSE,” emphasized R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “We have written the Secretary of Agriculture and Members of Congress asking that USDA:

‰ Postpone indefinitely its proposal to further relax our import controls to allow cattle and beef from cattle over 30 months (OTM) of age from Canada;

‰ Rescind its Minimal Risk Region Rule that presently allows the importation of cattle and beef from cattle under 30 months of age from Canada until a comprehensive analysis is completed on Canada’s latest detection of a 4 year 2 month old cow with BSE;

‰ End its practice of granting access to the U.S. market before the U.S. fully regains all of its lost export markets;

‰ Ensure that beef produced exclusively from U.S. cattle be clearly labeled with a Country-of-Origin Label (COOL) for consumers, both domestic and abroad.

“These reforms are necessary in order for the U.S. to regain full access to our export markets,” Bullard explained. “It is important to note that Japan has imposed severe restrictions on U.S. beef exports – allowing only beef from cattle 20 months of age and younger and prohibiting the export of ground beef.

“Other markets that have reopened have likewise imposed stricter standards on U.S. exports than the U.S. requires for imports,” Bullard noted. “Egypt, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines, for example, have opened their borders to U.S. exports of only boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age.”

posted by Robert Pore # 7/27/2006 0 Comments

Nebraska Cattlemen welcome partial reopening of Japanese markets

LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Cattlemen welcomes Japan’s partial resumption of beef imports from the U.S. Today’s announcement is an important first step toward full normalization of trade with Japan that totaled about $300 million in sales from Nebraska in 2003, said Nebraska Cattlemen President Pete McClymont.

“I agree with USDA and National Cattlemen Beef Association leaders who have said that after months of dialogue between Japanese and U.S. officials, visits, reports, analysis and investigative tours, Japan has recognized what we have known all along – that U.S. beef is safe by American and international standards.”

He added, “While today’s announcement is positive, we will be more pleased after we know the first load has been received in Japan and after multiple shipments prove Japan is sincere about being a fair trading partner again.”

McClymont continued, “Prior to the ban, Nebraska was the No. 1 exporting state in the U.S. and Japan was our No. 1 market. To regain that we will continue to work with USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative Office to convince Japan and other countries to remove age restrictions and resume trade according to international standards.”

Trade to Japan had been halted since Jan. 20, after resuming only a month earlier Dec. 19, 2005.

With 96 percent of the world’s consumers living outside the U.S., export markets trading fairly are critical to Nebraska producers and all Nebraskans, McClymont said. “As goes the cattle business in Nebraska, so goes the rest of the state’s economy. And in this case, fair trade is important to main street businesses from Scottsbluff to Omaha. Normalized trade translates to tax revenue for the state’s budget,” McClymont said.

The Nebraska Cattlemen association serves as the spokesman for the state’s beef cattle industry and represents professional cattle breeders, ranchers and feeders, as well as 46 county and local cattlemen’s associations. Its headquarters are in Lincoln and second office in Alliance serves cattlemen in western Nebraska.

posted by Robert Pore # 7/27/2006 0 Comments

Hagel, Heineman applaud Japanese decision to re-Open Japanese Markets to U.S. Beef

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) meet with Japanese Ambassador Ryozo Kato Thursday to discuss the Japanese Government’s decision to resume importation of U.S. beef.

Hagel said the Japanese Government’s decision came following the recently completed inspection of all authorized beef processing plants in the United States. Kato presented Hagel with a letter outlining the Japanese government’s decision to resume accepting imports of beef from cattle up to 20 months old.

He said this is an important victory for Nebraska and the entire U.S. beef industry.

"Japan is a critical market for Nebraska’s beef producers," he said. "We must now work to re-gain the confidence of Japanese consumers until the market has been fully re-opened to all U.S. beef products. U.S. beef is the highest quality, safest beef in the world, and it is critical for Nebraska’s producers to have full access to the Japanese market. I will continue to work with Secretary Johanns to open markets which remain closed to U.S. beef.” Hagel said.

In addition to meeting with Kato this morning, Hagel met with senior officials from the Japanese Embassy to discuss the resumption of U.S. beef exports into Japan last week.

In May, Hagel met with the Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Ambassador Kato to discuss the resumption of U.S. beef exports into Japan. On October 28, 2005, Hagel hosted Ambassador Kato on a tour of beef producing and processing plants in Nebraska.

Gov. Dave Heineman said the importance of foreign markets to Nebraska's international beef trade cannot be overstated, and few markets have ever meant so much as Japan.

"While I am hopeful that our trade relationship can be restored to its former stature and while I am grateful for the current opportunity, I will remain cautious until I see the follow-through of a regular flow of U.S. and Nebraska beef into Japan," he said. "Ours is the best beef in the world."

posted by Robert Pore # 7/27/2006 0 Comments

Nelson meets with Japanese ambassador

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the official announcement earlier today that Japan will lift its ban on US beef, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson met with Japanese Ambassador Ryozo Kato this morning to receive a direct briefing on the resumption of U.S. beef imports.

“The ordeal for Nebraska producers is finally over. Ambassador Kato assured me today that U.S. beef shipments are good to go. He told me that it is Japan’s wish to see beef trade between our countries remain on stable ground in the future. He also mentioned that he’s been serving and enjoying US beef throughout this ordeal,” Nelson said after his meeting with Ambassador Kato.

Kato brought with him to the meeting an official letter to Nelson announcing the resumption of beef imports and copies of the 22 letters Nelson has sent the Kato regarding the trade ban. Kato said the letters were instrumental in communicating to Japanese officials the seriousness of the situation and the importance of resuming trade.

“I’m pleased with this progress and look forward to quickly resuming a strong beef trade between our two countries,” said Nelson. “U.S. beef is the best and safest in the world. There is no reason we shouldn’t be allowed to get back to where we were before the trade ban was originally instituted in 2003.”

Every Friday for the last 22 weeks, Nelson has written a letter to Japanese Ambassador Kato expressing the need to reopen the market to U.S. beef imports. Nelson has hosted Kato multiple times in his office to discuss the trade ban and has discussed it with Kato during executive session meeting of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Nelson introduced legislation to stop the USDA from importing Japanese beef until the Japanese agreed to accept U.S. beef. The Senate voted to approve Nelson’s resolution 72-26, on September 19, 2005.

Nelson had introduced another bill this year, endorsed by the Nebraska Cattlemen and the National Cattlemen organizations, which would again discontinue U.S. imports of Japanese beef until the Japanese resumed U.S. beef imports.

posted by Robert Pore # 7/27/2006 0 Comments