Japan, U.S. to hold beef talks

Japan, U.S. to hold beef talks

WASHINGTON: Japanese and U.S. trade officials will hold two days
of meetings this week in Colorado to seek ways for Japan to
resume buying U.S. beef after a nine-month halt because of mad
cow disease, the Agriculture Department said.

"These will be follow-up discussions to the talks held earlier
this summer between the U.S. and Japan working groups,"
spokeswoman Julie Quick said in an interview.

Japan, the biggest overseas customer for U.S. beef, was among
more than 40 nations that suspended purchases of the meat last
December after a dairy animal in Washington state tested positive
for the disease. Japan bought US$1.5 billion in U.S. beef
products in 2003, out of a total $3.8 billion in exports. --
Bloomberg