Congressman Salazar to Japan: “Open Markets to U.S. Beef”

Salazar, House Agriculture Committee Meet with Ambassador Kato

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Salazar (CO-3), along with colleagues from the House Committee on Agriculture, met with Japanese Ambassador Ryozo Kato today and encouraged Japan to reopen its markets to U.S. beef. Salazar is a cosponsor of HR 137 that calls on the Japanese government to open their market to U.S. beef or face economic sanctions.

“It’s vital to the U.S. cattle industry that we reestablish trade with Japan and other Asian nations,” Salazar said following the meeting. “The Committee has asked Japan to take immediate steps to reopen importation of U.S. beef as has been negotiated by our two countries.”

Following the 2003 discovery of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy – aka “mad cow disease”) in a cow in Washington State, Japan and other Asian nations banned the importation of U.S. beef, closing the door to nearly 70% of the U.S. beef export markets. The origins of the cow were traced back to Canada, sparking a national debate on the importation of Canadian beef. Salazar has been an advocate of keeping the Canadian border closed in the short term, in an effort to maintain international consumer confidence in U.S. beef. 

Japanese Ambassador Kato told the Committee that there are still obstacles within the Japanese Food Safety Commission and the Japanese public to efforts to reopen the border. Salazar noted that the U.S. has tested 305,000 high-risk animals since 2004 and have not found a single case of BSE.

“Our beef is safe and held to the highest standards - the U.S. cattle industry and USDA have worked hard since the BSE discovery to safeguard our food supply,” said Salazar. “Other foreign markets have reopened their borders to U.S. beef. In recognition of the longstanding friendship between our two nations, I would expect Japan to follow suit.”