Japan moved closer to lifting a ban on US beef imports as officials from the two countries were to hold a teleconference later yesterday to discuss conditions of resuming shipments, Japanese officials said.
The two sides are expected to reach an agreement on Japan's lifting of beef import ban at the teleconference, Kyodo News agency reported.
Agriculture Minister Shoichi Nakagawa and Health Minister Jiro Kawasaki both called for an inspection of all imported US beef products when they return to the Japanese market, Health Ministry spokesman Yutaka Yokomizo said.
Japan ended a two-year-old ban on US beef imports last December but closed its market again in January following an illegal US shipment of parts banned under bilateral agreement.
Washington has urged Tokyo to expedite import resumption, but Japan has said it will not formally lift the ban until it has completed a series of public consultations, which ended earlier this month, and ensure necessary precautions are taken by the US.
Japan wants to lift the ban after confirming US safeguard measures against mad cow disease have been stepped up and resume imports only from the facilities that abide by the rules, officials said.
Nakagawa also said that he wanted to make a final decision after sending Japanese inspectors to US beef processing plants, adding that he would have to request additional round of talks if "any problems were found."
"We will present the United States what Japan plans to do, what we'd like them to achieve, including snap inspections [of beef processors], then obtain their consent after discussion," Nakagawa told reporters yesterday. "We can move on to a next step if we can ready the measures on each side."
Japanese Agriculture Ministry consumption safety director Hiroshi Nakagawa and his US counterpart Chuck Lambert, acting undersecretary for marketing and regulatory program.
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