Japan OKs Beef Exports From California Plant

Japan’s Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday that it had authorized approval for a meatpacker in California to resume beef exports to Japan, making it the last of the 35 U.S. beef processors allowed to return to the Japanese market.

Tokyo announced July 27 an easing of its import ban on U.S. beef over mad cow disease fears, and sales of American beef resumed last week for the first time since January.

Japan initially recognized 34 U.S. meatpackers as qualified for Japanese exports under a bilateral safeguard agreement, excluding Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Co. because its updated manual covering packaging standards was found to be incomplete at a new plant in Brawley in the Imperial Valley.

Another meatpacking plant, Wisconsin-based American Foods Group, however, requires continued monitoring by U.S. Department of Agriculture officials -- the condition Tokyo attached to the company in its earlier approval.

Although the resumption renewed U.S. access to what was once the most lucrative export market for American ranchers, recent surveys suggest winning back market share will be difficult, with an overwhelming majority of consumers expressing concerns about the safety of U.S. beef.

Most major Japanese supermarkets and fast food restaurants said they had no immediate plans to use U.S. beef.

Japan initially banned American beef imports in December 2003 after the first case of mad cow disease in the United States. The ban was eased in December 2005 but reimposed in January after prohibited spinal bones were found in a veal shipment.