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When the Japanese Food Safety Commission's Prion Expert Committee met recently to discuss the resumption of U.S. beef imports, Japanese scientists reportedly said that they are uncertain if assurances from U.S. officials about the safety of the beef supply can be trusted. They are proposing further study of U.S. methods of assuring that the beef supply remains free of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
A frustrated Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said, "Japan's inexplicable lack of response to even consider a move to re-open their market to U.S. beef will sorely tempt economic trade action against Japan. Japan is well beyond the time for assessing scientific reasoning, and diplomatic efforts attempted repeatedly by the president, by our trade emissaries, and by the U.S. Congress. Japan's latest delay has only hastened America's demand for action, and increased my strong displeasure for Japan's inattentiveness to our trade relationship."
