Dive Summary:
- Japan banned the import of beef from the U.S. after a confirmed 2003 case of BSE, commonly known as Mad Cow Disease, was discovered.
- In 2006, they eased the ban and allowed cows no older than 20 months to be imported.
- Now, as demand for beef increases and fear of BSE wanes, Japan has once again extended the limit to cows less than 30 months old, increasing the potential export revenue for the U.S by millions of dollars.
From the article:
Japan’s easing of restrictions on U.S. beef imports is a sign that there is more product demand than fear in the Asian nation about BSE, popularly known as Mad Cow Disease.
Opening Japan’s market to more U.S. beef will result in “hundreds of million of dollars in exports of U.S. beef to Japan in coming years,” according to a statement by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
