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U.S. Japan Beef Trade Talks on Hold

Talks focused on beef trade between the United States and Japan are on hold while that nation works to contain foot-and-mouth disease. Japan's farm minister Hirotaka Akamatsu initially agreed with U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to resume discussions aimed at easing restrictions on U.S. beef imports. But the farm minister is quoted as saying Japan took a pass in order to concentrate on containing the disease.

FMD is just one of the setbacks for beef trade talks with Japan. After just eight months on the job Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has resigned. The resignation raises questions about Japan's willingness to follow through on the agreement made with U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack in April to move forward with talks on expanded market access for U.S. beef. The Secretary may now need to lay the groundwork again once a new Prime Minister is in place and a new Minister of Ag is named.