New import rules in Japan to support US beef industry

Japan is one of the biggest importers of U.S. beef, despite restrictions that for years haven't allowed the import of beef from cattle older than 20 months instead of the industry standard of 30 months. Those restricted imports were only allowed after Japan banned U.S. beef altogether in 2003 after the U.S. recorded its first case of mad cow disease, which can cause a fatal brain disease in humans.

The news of the expanded export market is especially welcome now because the beef industry has been hurt by several years of high feed prices and the drought that hit cattle country hard the past two years, said J.D. Alexander, president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

“It's a great shot in the arm,” said Alexander, who runs a feedlot and corn farm near Pilger in northeast Nebraska. “This is going to help the profitability of the beef industry.”

U.S. beef producers eventually hope to restore Japanese sales to their 2003 levels, when Japan was the U.S.'s biggest customer, buying 918 million pounds of beef. If Japan's loosening of restrictions leads to higher demand overall, American consumers may pay more for beef.

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