The weekend brought good news for our friends in the cattle industry. At long last, Japan has taken the steps needed for American beef to make its way back into the Japanese market.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
For too long, Japan has been dragging its feet as it ignores the steps the U.S. has made to ensure a safe beef supply and shows a disregard for our prior trade pacts.
We had Taiwan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Oman open their markets to our beef, and we're excited about that.
There is no good reason for our cattle producers to have such limited market access. Our beef is the best in the world, and we need to be allowed to reach global markets.
We remain very confident in the safety of U.S. beef.
In beef trade issues, we base our decisions upon science.
Another dynamic of this last year was our increased penetration into the Japanese market.
Alabama farmers want a chance to complete fairly in Japan, but they can't if the Japanese won't let us in.
When one cow was found with BSE in 2003, many of our trading partners closed their borders to our beef.
From another point of view, a new situation now seems to be arising in which Japan's prosperity is going to be incorporated into the expanding potential power of both production and consumption in Asia at large.
Japan's inexplicable lack of response to even consider a move to re-open their market to U.S. beef will sorely tempt economic trade action against Japan.