US bans Japanese beef in mad cow dispute
www.chinaview.cn
2005-09-21 09:46:50
BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to keep shipments of Japanese Kobe beef out of the United States until Tokyo ends its ban on American beef, imposed 19 months ago as a precaution against mad cow disease.
Senators said the votes were a signal of frustration with Japan, traditionally the No. 1 customer for U.S. beef exports. The U.S. cattle industry says it loses $100 million each month since the market is closed.
Japan has refused to allow the purchase of U.S. beef since the first case of mad cow disease in a Canadian-born cow was confirmed in December, 2003. Japan agreed to lift the ban in 2004 but still hasn't done so.
In June this year, U.S. authorities confirmed a second domestic case in a Texas-born cow. Japan, in contrast, has found 20 cases of mad cow disease.
"It's just unfair," said Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson, decrying Japanese continued ban on U.S. beef.
"There have been two cases of mad cow disease in the United States, one from Canada," Nelson said in a Senate speech. "Statistically, it's nonexistent, in terms of the millions of head of cattle that are sent to slaughter every year."
Kobe beef comes from Wagyu cattle massaged with sake and fed a diet enriched with beer. Japan shipped $800,000 worth of the beef annually to U.S buyers before the ban.
Japan says the ban on American beef is in the hands of an independent food safety commission.
A subcommittee leader on the commission said last week that a draft report on American beef safety may be discussed soon.
