Japan and the United States on Saturday agreed in principle to resume U.S. beef imports as early as next spring, although a final accord on specific conditions for lifting the ban was left to further negotiations.
Japan told the U.S. delegates that cows aged 20 months and younger will be exempted from testing for mad cow disease after Tokyo officially revises its blanket testing policy.
The U.S., meanwhile, offered to set up a temporary verification system -- subject for review by July -- so that only cows aged 20 months and younger will be shipped to Japan and that high-risk materials such as spinal cords will be removed.