NEBRASKA /A.P. NEWS
JOHANNS TAKES IMPORT LIMIT BEEF TO AMBASSADOR (with audio)
By John Axtell
Mar 6, 2010 - 9:15:09 PM

    Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns says he told Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki Friday in Washington that America's treatment of Toyota's safety problems shows how out of line Japan is with its continued mad cow-based limits on U-S beef.

    Johanns says he pointed out that the American government has continued to allow Japanese auto makers sell their vehicles here without additional restrictions...despite traffic deaths directly linked to faulty Toyotas.

    He campared that to Japan limiting U-S beef imports for 7 years over BSE-mad cow disease even though there's never been a human case of the disease linked to that beef.

     Johanns says told the ambassador that there is "absolutely no scientific justification" for the limits that have cost American producers billions of dollars, and that the double standard defies rationalization.

    Japan was the largest market for U-S beef at some $1.4-billion dollars before the mad cow-BSE scare of 2003, but now imports less than 15% of that total...only about $196-million dollars.

    Johanns says he reminded the ambassador that he's fought with the island nation over the issue as governor, U-S Secretary of Agriculture, and as a senator...and is still hearing the same weak justifications despite the World Organization for Animal Health classifying American beef as safe for export and consumption

      He says he didn't suggest the U-S should put any sort of ban on Japanese products, but did promise to keep the beef  issue on the front burner and continue to demand that the import limits be lifted immediately.


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