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