LUBBOCK, Texas (AP)--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 Association spokesman Matt Brockman. "Inspections are fine. The Japanese picking and choosing is not."
Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, said he's concerned 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 USDA's judgment. "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," Seng 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 U.S. but not allowed in Japan. U.S. officials have insisted there are no problems with the meat.
"U.S. beef is the safest and highest quality beef in the world," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, D-Neb. "It is critical that the Japanese market be open to our product." Inspectors will arrive in the U.S. this weekend to begin examining plants authorized to ship beef to Japan. Those inspections should be done by July 21.
A spokesman for the world's largest beef company, Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc., said Japanese officials will begin inspecting Tyson's nine plants, two of which are in Nebraska, late 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.
But Tyson and officials with the Texas Farm Bureau were disappointed that Japanese officials continue to insist that only U.S. beef from cows younger than 20 months be sold there. "I think that's a matter for concern because the science certainly demonstrates that that beef is safe," Farm Bureau spokesman Gene Hall said.
"That's something else that we have to work on, but we view (the reopening) as a positive first step." 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.
Just as when Japan first lifted its ban, the country requires all shipments to be boneless, without any brain and spinal tissue. As part of the agreement, beef producers and processors must be able to verify the age of the cattle.