U.S. resumes beef sales to Japan

WASHINGTON — Hours after Japan ended a trade ban imposed because of mad cow disease, U.S. ranchers and meatpackers began rounding up their first shipment of beef to Japan.

The shipment is to be sent Saturday from Denver, but the industry cautioned that trade will resume slowly.

Japan's market, once the biggest for American beef, was worth $1.4 billion before mad cow disease turned up in the United States in December 2003. The discovery prompted Japan and dozens of other countries to stop importing U.S. beef.

"Just to regain that market share we had before will take some time," Missouri cattle rancher Mike John, president-elect of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said Monday.

Earlier this month, John helped organize an auction of 7,000 cattle in Joplin, Mo., whose beef would qualify for shipment to Japan. New rules limit beef destined for Japan to animals 20 months or younger. New paperwork and tracking requirements also were imposed.

Beyond that, Japanese consumers will need convincing, said North Dakota rancher Dick Tokach. "It's going to be another selling campaign to assure Japanese people that beef in the U.S. is safe," Tokach said.

A survey by Japan's Kyodo news agency found about 75 percent of Japanese unwilling to eat U.S. beef because of mad cow fears. Twenty-one percent said they would consume it.

Japan lifted its ban late Sunday, and the United States responded Monday morning by agreeing to allow the importation of Japanese beef. The U.S. appetite for Japanese beef, primarily expensive Kobe steaks, is more of a niche market worth an estimated $808,000 annually.

The first shipment from Denver, organized by the U.S. Meat Export Federation, is expected to arrive Sunday. Among other companies, meatpacker Swift & Co. is striving to have products in the shipment, a company spokesman said.

In the meantime, Japanese inspectors will be visiting plants to certify them, according to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.

"We know of many plants across the United States who have been anticipating this day," Johanns said Monday from Hong Kong, where he is participating in global trade talks. "They are prepared to deal with the export verification requirements, and so I'm optimistic. I think the industry will adjust very quickly."

In an interview with The Associated Press, Johanns said, "I think we'll see plants that are given the green light yet this week."