Letter to President Barack Obama

Letter

U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today joined 21 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to discuss Japanese trade barriers on U.S. beef exports during his upcoming meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan. Japan closed its market to U.S. beef in December of 2003, after the discovery of one cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States. At that time, Japan was the largest export market for U.S. beef, valued at $1.4 billion.

"Japan's restrictions on U.S. beef imports are not based on sound science and are not consistent with international trade guidelines," Lincoln said. "Our nation's cattle ranchers have done tremendous work ensuring that our beef meets the strictest safety standards and they continue to produce the world's safest beef products. Because Japan represents a major export market for Arkansas's beef producers, and producers across the nation, we must press to restore uninterrupted trade."

Currently, Japan only allows imports of beef from cattle aged 20 months and younger. The co-signed letter urges President Obama to press for immediately easing age restrictions to 30 months as an interim step on a pathway toward eventually reopening the market to all U.S. beef products, regardless of age or boneless status.

The full text of the letter can be found below.

-30-
September 22, 2010

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

We write to ask that you include the issue of beef trade on the agenda for your meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan later this week.

As you know, Japan closed its market to U.S. beef in December of 2003, after the discovery of one cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States. At that time, Japan was the largest export market for U.S. beef, valued at $1.4 billion.

Since then, Japan has had restrictions in place on U.S. beef imports, and currently they only allow imports of beef from cattle aged 20 months and younger. These restrictions are not based on sound science nor are they consistent with international guidelines. The United States has spent years putting in place an effective system of interlocking safeguards that has led to the virtual elimination of BSE in our country. Because of these efforts, the U.S. has been classified as a controlled risk country by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), which indicates that U.S. beef products are completely safe for export and consumption.

Japan and the U.S. share an important friendship and trade relationship, and we were pleased to see that you arranged to meet with Prime Minister Kan this week. However, their actions with regard to beef trade are not consistent with fair trade practices, or with U.S. treatment of Japanese imports. We encourage you to discuss U.S.-Japan beef trade with the Prime Minister. At the very least, Japan should agree to immediately relax its age restrictions to 30 months as an interim step on a pathway that would amend its import protocol to be consistent with OIE guidelines, and reopen its market to all U.S. beef products, regardless of age or boneless status.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Very truly yours,

Mike Johanns (R-Neb.)
Sam Brownback (R-Kan.)
Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)
Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.)
Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
Kit Bond (R-Mo.)
Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
John Thune (R-S.D.)
Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
Mark Udall (D-Colo.)
Bill Nelson (D-Fl.)
Jim Risch (R-Idaho)
Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

Source