U.S. to prod Japan again on beef ban

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The United States will urge Japan to reopen its market for U.S. beef under scientifically appropriate standards, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said Tuesday.

In congressional testimony, Zoellick reiterated U.S. opposition toward Japan's call for subjecting all cattle to mad cow disease tests.

Zoellick told the Senate Finance Committee that the U.S. will first strive to reopen the Mexican market for U.S. beef, to "help try to show others that they really need to follow the sound science-based standards."

After the U.S. announced its first BSE case in December -- a Canadian-born cow in Washington state -- almost all U.S. trading partners banned U.S. beef.