U.S. Beef Industry Is Split Over Japan Deal

Japan’s decision to reopen its market to U.S. beef brought joy to the nation’s cattlemen and some hand-wringing by its meat processors, upset that their plants would be open to Japanese inspection as part of the deal.

Japan agreed Wednesday to lift the ban, pending inspections of U.S. plants. Japan’s market was worth $1.4 billion annually when it banned imports after a Canadian-born animal in the U.S. was found to have mad cow disease in 2003. Two other U.S. cases, in Texas in 2005 and in Alabama this year, were found in native-born animals.

“It’s USDA’s job to regulate our processing industry, not Japan’s,” said Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Assn. spokesman Matt Brockman. “Inspections are fine. The Japanese picking and choosing is not.”

Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Assn., said he was concerned that the U.S. could set a precedent by allowing Japan to audit the plants. “That’s a real disappointment,” he said.

Philip M. Seng, president of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, said in a statement that Japan should respect the judgment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“It is critically important for Japan to recognize the U.S. food safety system and accept imports from all U.S. beef facilities approved by the USDA,” he said.

Japan dropped its two-year ban on U.S. beef in December, but halted imports two months later after finding a shipment that contained backbone, which Asian countries consider at risk for mad cow disease. The cuts -- veal hotel rack, which has rib bones connected to the spine -- are eaten in the United States but are not allowed in Japan.

U.S. officials have insisted that there are no problems with the meat.

“U.S. beef is the safest and highest-quality beef in the world,” Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said. “It is critical that the Japanese market be open to our product.”

Inspectors will arrive in the U.S. soon to begin examining plants authorized to ship beef to Japan. Those inspections should be completed within a month.

A spokesman for the world’s largest beef company, Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc., said Japan would begin inspecting Tyson’s nine plants, two of which are in Nebraska, next week. If all goes as planned, Tyson could start shipping beef there by late July, he said.

“We certainly look forward to doing business in Japan again,” Gary Mickelson said. Tyson used to send a quarter of its exports to Japan.

If a violation like the one that halted U.S. beef exports before occurs again, U.S. negotiators want Japan to restrict shipments only from the responsible meatpacking company and not all U.S. companies.