|
ARVADA, Colo. Oct. 27, 2005 –As legislation travels
through the Senate to open the Japanese borders, the
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) continues to
voice Colorado beef producers’ support for Japan’s
long-overdue opening to our U.S. beef exports. With
Japan representing nearly one third of the
industry’s beef exports, reopening this valuable
market has been, and will continue to be, a top
priority for CCA.
The legislation introduced in the Senate calls for
tariffs on Japanese products if Japan does not open
its market to American beef by December 15, 2005. It
is estimated that these economic sanctions would
equal $3.14 billion annually, which is the estimated
amount the ban has cost U.S. beef producers. “We
applaud Senator Ken Conrad (D-ND) and Senator Pat
Roberts (R-KS) for sponsoring this bill and also
United States Senator Ken Salazar (D-Colo) and
Senator Wayne Allard (R-Colo), along with the 17
other senators, who have cosponsored it. They are
clearly listening to the voice of the beef
producers,” CCA Executive Vice President Terry
Fankhauser said.
After the USDA announced the first U.S. case of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 2003, the
Japanese closed their borders to U.S. beef. Two
years prior to this, the USDA’s Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) closed U.S.
borders to Japanese beef because of BSE cases.
Today, after years of scientific evidence,
educational research, and established feeding
regulations, providing for the safest beef possible,
the borders remain closed. “It has become very clear
that this ban is a trade issue, and not a BSE issue,
as so many would like us to believe,” Fankhauser
said.
“Although trade is a two-way street, we agree with
the U.S. Senate’s 72-26 vote to prohibit Japanese
beef imports at least until the U.S. beef ban is
lifted,” CCA President Bill Gray said. The Japanese
government has acknowledged the U.S.’s technical
standards in preventing BSE from being a human and
animal safety concern; while at the same time,
inexcusably, implementing barriers to prevent U.S.
products’ importation into the Japanese markets.
CCA has, and will continue to work for, the best
interests of Colorado’s beef industry. “We are proud
to support and contribute to Colorado producers’
needs, and will continue to work toward enhancing
the livelihood and environment for Colorado beef
producers,” said Gray.
-CCA-
|
