Nelson frustrated over failure to reopen beef markets(Japan still says No)

[Robbien]

By Robert Pore
[email protected]


Nearly seven months after a dairy cow in Washington tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, which lead to a world-wide embargo of U.S. beef, Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., is frustrated with the inability of the Bush administration to reopen those borders to American beef.

"This isn't a case like Nero, fiddling while Rome burns, but it's close," Nelson said. "They are not opening up these markets. There's is not enough diplomacy. Whatever it takes, they should be doing.''

Last week, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman expressed optimism on efforts to get Japan to lift its ban on U.S. beef. Also, earlier this week, a Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, said Japanese markets could be open up if the U.S. guarantees the safety of its beef as early as next month.

But controversy still surrounds the USDA's BSE testing procedures and Japan is still unable to reach a conclusion on whether they should revise its policy of testing all cattle, which could delay the decision on lifting the ban on U.S. beef imports.

http://www.theindependent.com/stories/072204/new_exports22.shtml