WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The U.S. ambassador-nominee to Tokyo urged Japan on Tuesday to quickly lift its 15-month-old import ban on U.S. beef to prevent it from damaging overall bilateral ties, while pledging to advance Washington's security alliance and economic ties.
Thomas Schieffer addressed growing concerns in Congress over Japan's prolonged ban in his Senate confirmation hearing, saying, "As a number of you have already pointed out to me, the current controversy . . . must be resolved as soon as possible so that U.S. beef exports can be resumed to Japan."
Political pressure is mounting in Congress, with many lawmakers from farm states calling for retaliatory economic sanctions.