Trade chief Shoichi Nakagawa indicated Tuesday he will call on the United States during his upcoming visit to Washington to take steps to ensure the safety of American beef following the discovery of the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S.
Nakagawa said Japan managed to restore consumer trust in domestic beef in the wake of its first case of mad cow disease in September 2001, and noted that trust "should not be shaken."
Asked whether mad cow disease will be discussed during his two-day visit that starts Wednesday, Nakagawa said at a news conference, "I expect so because, along with Australia, the U.S. is the largest beef exporter."
Nakagawa said he wants a frank exchange of views with U.S. officials.
Japan banned U.S. beef following the discovery of the disease there last month.
The U.S. has called on Japan to lift the import ban soon, but Tokyo is asking Washington to test all cattle, as Japan does.